So as the West Coast was winding down for the night, myself included. I was sitting in my living room when suddenly, my cat, who was sleeping on the window sill, scrambles/falls off of the sill and darts through the apartment. I'm looking around wondering what startled her, and looking in the direction Carly took off in, wondering what got into her when suddenly it hit me. It's not just someone stomping upstairs, or a semi-truck clamouring up Willingdon, NO. My livingroom is shaking. Holy shit. It's an earthquake!
And as soon as that realization struck, it was over. I sat frozen, stunned, on my couch weighing weather or not I should get the heck out of here. Here being the ground floor/basement of a 40+year old house. Last thing I feel up to, is testing my personal durability beneath something like a ceiling caving in. And, moments later, with a half shrug, I took to Facebook to check in and see if it was just me (meaning: an ACTUAL earthquake), or not.
Soon after I posted my exclamation about it, the posts were pouring in. Yes, West Coast had a 4.9 earthquake that struck about 45 kms beneath North Saanich on Vancouver Island.
Thankfully from what I can gather, minimal to no damage or injuries.
On the West Coast, in high school and elementary school we not only do fire drills, but Earthquake drills as well. To prepare for the ever elusive yet extremely daunting 'The Big One.' The predicted 9.0 Earthquake we've been 'bracing for' for about two decades. Needless to say when something like tonight's occurs, it leaves us all a bit shaken up. ;)
For me, this one didn't affect me like the earthquake of 2001. I was standing on the skytrain platform at Joyce Skytrain station in Vancouver, which crossed over Joyce Street. While waiting for the train, I'm looking up the hill at the extreme swaying of the street lights, thinking to myself: it's not windy out...? And moments later the platform I was standing on lifted up and slammed back down. A rolling earthquake (which, I now can say, is quite different from the shaking, rumble...just like the teachers told us way back when!). Needless to say, everyone froze. There was nothing to hold on to. No one was sure if we should stay UP on the platform, or run downstairs and effectively be BELOW the platform. My feet were glued in place long enough for the world to pick up and carry on as if a 6.8 earthquake hadn't just shook through our city!
(Nisqually Earthquake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Nisqually_earthquake)
And, then the skytrain pulled in to the station, and everyone went on about their days.
I have never forgot that moment. And tonight watching people's reactions to this earthquake, commenting about their first earthquake, I sadly, can remember what that felt like and relate. It left me unsettled, as I'm sure many of the 'First-timers' also are. It's a great reminder of just what our great and powerful earth can do. I am grateful that this evening didn't leave rubble in it's wake. Just a lot of uneasy west coast-ers likely not going to fall asleep anytime soon.
And as all of us who grew up with those familiar warnings might be thinking, that we are hoping this was just the plates responding, reacting and resettling after today's earthquake in LA...and not any pre-cursor to the Big One. As I for one, am hoping my 2001 6.8er is as high up on the Richter scale I go.
Signing off for now, Stay safe friends!
And as soon as that realization struck, it was over. I sat frozen, stunned, on my couch weighing weather or not I should get the heck out of here. Here being the ground floor/basement of a 40+year old house. Last thing I feel up to, is testing my personal durability beneath something like a ceiling caving in. And, moments later, with a half shrug, I took to Facebook to check in and see if it was just me (meaning: an ACTUAL earthquake), or not.
Soon after I posted my exclamation about it, the posts were pouring in. Yes, West Coast had a 4.9 earthquake that struck about 45 kms beneath North Saanich on Vancouver Island.
Thankfully from what I can gather, minimal to no damage or injuries.
On the West Coast, in high school and elementary school we not only do fire drills, but Earthquake drills as well. To prepare for the ever elusive yet extremely daunting 'The Big One.' The predicted 9.0 Earthquake we've been 'bracing for' for about two decades. Needless to say when something like tonight's occurs, it leaves us all a bit shaken up. ;)
For me, this one didn't affect me like the earthquake of 2001. I was standing on the skytrain platform at Joyce Skytrain station in Vancouver, which crossed over Joyce Street. While waiting for the train, I'm looking up the hill at the extreme swaying of the street lights, thinking to myself: it's not windy out...? And moments later the platform I was standing on lifted up and slammed back down. A rolling earthquake (which, I now can say, is quite different from the shaking, rumble...just like the teachers told us way back when!). Needless to say, everyone froze. There was nothing to hold on to. No one was sure if we should stay UP on the platform, or run downstairs and effectively be BELOW the platform. My feet were glued in place long enough for the world to pick up and carry on as if a 6.8 earthquake hadn't just shook through our city!
(Nisqually Earthquake: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Nisqually_earthquake)
And, then the skytrain pulled in to the station, and everyone went on about their days.
I have never forgot that moment. And tonight watching people's reactions to this earthquake, commenting about their first earthquake, I sadly, can remember what that felt like and relate. It left me unsettled, as I'm sure many of the 'First-timers' also are. It's a great reminder of just what our great and powerful earth can do. I am grateful that this evening didn't leave rubble in it's wake. Just a lot of uneasy west coast-ers likely not going to fall asleep anytime soon.
And as all of us who grew up with those familiar warnings might be thinking, that we are hoping this was just the plates responding, reacting and resettling after today's earthquake in LA...and not any pre-cursor to the Big One. As I for one, am hoping my 2001 6.8er is as high up on the Richter scale I go.
Signing off for now, Stay safe friends!
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