Sunday, April 4, 2010

Earthquake Felt in Palm Springs at 3:40 PM today

Today, at 3:40 PM PT on Easter Sunday we experienced the effect of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck Baja California in northwestern Mexico. We were sitting at home and felt a rumble-rolling like sensation. I could feel the ground shaking under the house. Our two standard poodles, Sheldon and Duncan barked slightly, and our cat Owen looked wide-eyed and alert. John went out of the house, while I grabbed the dogs and held them close to me just to make sure they felt safe and secure, while I kept an eye on the kitty.

It was the longest earthquake I've ever felt since living in Southern California these past twelve years. I heard the crystal and china vibrating as the house shook ever-so-slightly. The sound of the rumbling was definite. We had no visible damage of any kind, and soon it passed. I noticed the water in our pool sloshed around a bit also. I did have a lingering sensation, similar to motion sickness- similar to being on a boat for awhile and returning to land when it feels as if things are still moving. (that may well be in my head).

When it had passed, I jumped online, Tweeted and posted things on Face Book and saw the barrage of comments flying by on Twitter especially. Friends in San Diego reported things flew off shelves, while people in LA said chandeliers swung and blinds vibrated. All in all, a non-event for us living here in the Coachella Valley. Palm Springs was spared any damage, thankfully.

Did you experience the quake?

6 comments:

  1. oh, then my friend from San Marcos must've really felt it if you did... I hope she and her family are okay. Glad to hear that Y'all are fine. it's amazing the sensitivities of our animals to things like that.

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  2. Glad you guys are ok....and no, I didn't feel it. ;-)
    Peace

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  3. No, but I felt a small one in Costa Rica about 7 years ago and I don't ever want to feel one again! The epicenter of that one was in Nicaragua and it shook our hotel on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica so badly that we rushed downstairs. Yikes! Glad you were spared damage.

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  4. Thought of you and our friends in San Diego and soon as we heard. The aftershocks woke them three times last night. Glad all is well!

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  5. Scary!! Glad to hear that all of you are ok and no major damage happened.

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  6. Some people I know here said they felt it, my husband being one of them, but I didn't feel a thing. This is the second one in recent months that others felt and I didn't. I know my cousin in San Diego said it was jolting to him.

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Thank you kindly.