Shake, Rattle and Roll in Southern California
@DeborahDiane (40844)
Laguna Woods, California
July 6, 2019 4:22pm CST
Last night, we had a 7.1 earthquake here in Southern California where I live. It lasted for over a minute and caused the hotel where we are staying to sway. (Yes, we are still in the hotel after two months, and could be here another two months).
The trees outside our room looked like a Giant was shaking them violently. Since the major earthquake event, we have had a number of aftershocks, but I have only felt a couple of them.
When I lived in Texas, our home was hit by tornadoes three times and we rode out a hurricane in Galveston one time. The middle school attended by our daughters had the end of the gymnasium ripped off by a tornado, while one of our daughters was inside the gym!
Even though an earthquake can be startling and shocking, I'll take one any day over the weather we experienced in Texas.
Unfortunately, just like other acts of nature, this series of earthquakes has caused some damage. Roads are cracked; a couple of homes caught on fire; grocery stores had bottles break all over the aisles.
Fortunately, no one was killed or even seriously injured.
Have you ever been in an earthquake? How do you think they compare to other natural disasters?
23 people like this
23 responses
@LadyDuck (502234)
• Italy
8 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane That was the lucky part of having to pack. I remember when we had a not very powerful earthquake in Monte Carlo that many books fell down from the shelves, but the china in the cabinets were safe. We lived on the first floor, those who lived from the 20th floor up had more serious damages.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@LadyDuck - Yes, the higher you are, the more the building sways. I agree it was very lucky for us that we had so many things which had been packed up. At least I didn't have to worry about having my favorite things get broken. It will feel like Christmas again when I finally get to unpack! 
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Jul 19
@LadyDuck - Yes, our home was spared although, of course, we are still staying in the hotel because of the plumbing leak. The fortunate part of that leak was that we had already packed up all our glassware, vases and lamps, so nothing was at risk during the earthquake. Everything was in boxes or sitting in a safe place on the floor.
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@Marilynda1225 (91044)
• United States
6 Jul 19
Glad that you are okay and didn't get hit worse with the earthquake. Seems like your time in Texas was indeed worse and probably much scarier too.
Even though I wouldn't want to be hit by either a tornado or earthquake I have been in a few hurricanes that were pretty scary.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Jul 19
@Marilynda1225 - Yes, if you have been through a hurricane, you know how scary they can be, and they can last for hours, while an earthquake just rattles things for a few minutes. The aftershocks can be startling, but are usually weaker than the original quake. In addition, decades can pass between major earthquakes, unlike hurricanes.
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@Marilynda1225 (91044)
• United States
7 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane My brother lived in San Diego and used to say the same thing. Earthquakes were rare whereas we in the northeast were subject to worse weather.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@Marilynda1225 - Yes, your brother was right. The chances of actually suffering because of an earthquake are very rare, while people suffer from bad weather in the Northeast every winter!
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
10 Jul 19
I am glad that you are all safe and sound after the series of earthquakes ! I learnt about it online.Where I live in,we have had no tornado and hurricane so far and only have had earthquakes measuing 1.5-2 on the Richter scale.
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@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
11 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane Yes,we live on the Yangtze River and far from sea.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Jul 19
@changjiangzhibin89 - It sounds like a lovely area. The friend of one of my daughters taught English as a second language in China, and traveled by train all over the country for two years. Then, she came back to the US and taught elementary school here for two years. After that, she went to Costa Rica to teach and there she met a man, got married, had two adorable daughters, and now lives permanently in Costa Rica as a teacher. She has fond memories of her travels in China.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
10 Jul 19
@changjiangzhibin89 - It sounds like you live in a very peaceful part of China, at least as far as the weather is concerned. I'm glad we were safe and sound, too!
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@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
7 Jul 19
thank heavens y'all're okay! i'd worried 'bout such, particularly gettin' 2 so close together. i cannot believe they still aint finished yer home. what the heck're they doin' there?? i feel fer y'all 's that jest don't sound pleasant't all - regardless 'f how nice such'd be.
yes ma'am, whilst 'p'n alaska. woke to my bed shimmyin' 'cross the floor 'n thingies fallin' off the wall, cabinets openin'/schtuff crashin'. personally, i'd take a 'nado o'er one any day. 't least ya get more warnin' 'n time to get to a safe place most oft. aint too keen'n the idea 'f the earth openin' 'n swallowin' folks, 'r goin' 'cross'n o'erpass/'r bridge that suddenly collapses. so glad there 'twas no serious injuries. guardian angles must'a been workin' o'ertime!
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
8 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane i'd most likely need bail funds if'n 'twas'n yer shoes, hon.
i'm gigglin' 'bout yer 'nado scare with yer young'un. not coz such 'tis funny ('t the time), but coz i'd similar with my daughter 'bout the same age back'n the hills. she thought such 'twas a grand game, with a mattress within reach, she thought such a fort 'f sorts :)
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@crazyhorseladycx - Ha ha! Yes, we had a mattress within reach, too, just in case. I don't mind you laughing. I always think those events are funny, AFTER they are over. When I survive them, I laugh them off. If there is ever one I don't survive, I won't have to worry about it!
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@crazyhorseladycx - Yes, we are still in the hotel and, believe me, it is starting to get old. I'll be glad to get home.
You make a good point about the advance warning with tornadoes. I remember sitting in the bathtub all one afternoon with one of our daughters when she was two! She was too little to be scared. She just thought it was funny and she and her mom were playing in a dry tub together! LOL
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@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jul 19
I have never been in an earthquake, and have always worried about experiencing them any time I would visit California. I'm not sure how I would react. I would probably either panic, or just stand there dumbfounded while the shaking went on around me. I imagine I would prefer an earthquake over a hurricane any day, unless of course I was at the top of a skyscraper in LA when the "big one" hit.
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@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane I live in a state where sinkholes are pretty much an everyday thing. So I'm more likely to be swallowed up by a sinkhole here in Florida than I am an earthquake in California!
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@moffittjc (128831)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane I know that California has done a wonderful job of requiring buildings and homes to be designed properly to withstand earthquakes. In that respect, I would feel comfortable knowing that the structure I was in was probably safe. I think where my biggest fear would lie would be on the ground. I would fear the earth would open and swallow me up!
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
9 Jul 19
@moffittjc - They just had a news story on earthquake myths last night ... and that was one of them! LOL
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@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
22 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane
I hope soon you will be back home. An earthquake is very scary. I grew up in Minneapolis where it is tornado country but never experienced one. I experienced a flood and that was no fun. I was sitting in a bomb shelter in Jerusalem learning computer graphics and then all of a sudden things moved and shook. I knew it was an earth quake. That was my first one. i really do not want to experience another. I know we have had others but I have not felt them. Everything seemed to be ok. All I could think of was my cat at home and hoping she was ok. When I got home she was fine. I think every bad thing that happens is horrible.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Jul 19
@Hannihar - Animals are especially affected during earthquakes. I understand that the horses in our community barn were very agitated that week. First, we had an earthquake during the day on July 4th. Then, our community set off fireworks that evening, just a block from the barn. Then, there was another earthquake the next day, and several smaller ones in the following days. I wasn't at the barn during that time, but several women I know said the horses were having a hard time with it.
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@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
23 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane
I believe the horses would be very much affected by it. They hear better than we do. My cat I had before Sophie was a very sensitive cat and things bothered her but when I got home she seemed fine,. I was not there but thought of her when it happened and hoped she was ok.
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@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
24 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane
I am also glad they have slowed down. Humans have a hard time and animals really hear things so I know it must be hard for all of them.
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@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
7 Jul 19
i'm glad you're okay. so you're still in the hotel. does this mean your house is still being worked on?
that must have been scary for your daughter.
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@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
8 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane i'm glad your belongings are safe. so it's going to take 4 months to fix it?
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@hereandthere - Sadly, yes, it could take four months to fix it. I hope things go faster, but I am not optimistic.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Jul 19
@hereandthere - Yes, we are still staying in the hotel because our house is being worked on. Fortunately, that meant that all our belongings were put in boxes and safe places, so nothing was broken.
Our daughters have terrible memories of tornadoes and hurricanes. They were terrifying. They have only rarely even felt the earthquakes!
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@Juliaacv (56227)
• Canada
6 Jul 19
We have had very little and mild earthquakes here in Southwestern Ontario over the years.
Its an odd feeling.
My aunt and uncle survived some disasterous earthquakes during the 1960-70's while living in Peru. They went thru so much when they survived those.
I hope that you and your hubby remain safe.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Jul 19
@Juliaacv - You make a good point. Earthquakes in South America seem more volatile and dangerous than most of the ones we have had in North America. We had a total of about 50 buildings damaged. Only a few were severely damaged. No one was killed or injured. It can be much worse in South America. I wonder why that is.
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@rakski (156296)
• Philippines
7 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane oh my but I am glad to hear there is no casualties
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Jul 19
@rakski - Yes, everyone is OK here in California, just about 50 buildings which were damaged.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@rakski - Yes, we were all very safe.
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@mom210 (9170)
• United States
22 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane that is sad, poor guy, poor family
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
20 Jul 19
@mom210 - Actually, as it turns out, they think one man was killed. He was working underneath his pickup truck when the earthquake hit and they think it fell off the jack and killed him. They didn't find his body for a few days, because there was no one else around. That is pretty sad.
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@RasmaSandra (97957)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7 Jul 19
Glad you're all right and I sure hope this is the end of the earthquakes for you. When I lived in NYC many years ago now and then the earth would move. So you would feel the floor move beneath your feet and this would last for some seconds and then it would stop. I don't know if this still happens today.
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@RasmaSandra (97957)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane so far so good haven't met a hurricane yet.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
9 Jul 19
@RasmaSandra - That is great! My parents used to live in Flagler Beach, right on the coast, and they never saw a hurricane either. They were a little more affected by them when they moved to Tampa, but never seriously.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
9 Jul 19
@just4him - I think anyone who has lived in Southern California has experienced some tremors. Fortunately, most of the time they are no big deal. I feel sorry for the people who were affected by this last earthquake. It destroyed about 50 buildings, and some of the people did not have earthquake insurance. Others were renters who did not have renters insurance. That makes life especially difficult for those people.
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@paigea (36143)
• Canada
6 Jul 19
Glad you are OK
I have never been in an earthquake or any major event.
Big storms that downed trees is all. That is scary enough as they cause damage when they fall.
Last week a tornado hit in the provincial park where we were camping. About 15 km away.
I saw the path of flattened trees. That campground and the RVs were destroyed, but no serious injuries. I can't imagine.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Jul 19
@paigea - Wow! I did not realize that Canada also got tornadoes. However, since you get big thunderstorms, I guess it should not be a surprise. I'm sure it was very scary. Our experience with tornadoes was terrifying!
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@paigea - It sounds like the tornadoes in the upper Midwest in the United States. I guess no matter where you live on this planet, there are natural disasters we have to worry about.
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@paigea (36143)
• Canada
8 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane most of them touch down in a small area. Tear up some trees, a few buildings.
It is quite rare for one to hit a populated area. Luckily.
We have frequent watches and warnings.
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@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
22 Jul 19
I was sitting in the Sakurajima Volcano Visitor Center (volunteering) when I saw the notification of a 7.1 in CA. My best friend was in LA visiting her mom. Her reaction was "Well, after the 9.0 (which we both went through in Japan), 7.1 was kind of meh." I was so relieved for her, but I know a lot of people are rattled by constant aftershocks. Fortunately, according to Omori's Law of Aftershocks, those should decrease in number gradually. Hoping you are not too rattled.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
22 Jul 19
@petatonicsca - I agree with your friend. It was a surprise, but the earthquake wasn't too bad for most people, except for those near the epicenter, which was a long way from here. The number of aftershocks have already decreased, and I expect that to continue.
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
23 Jul 19
@petatonicsca - Yes, I haven't felt an aftershock in about a week. I heard there was one yesterday, but I didn't feel it.
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
23 Jul 19
@DeborahDiane They've really decreased a lot. More rapidly than usual, according to Dr. Lucy Jones. But it's still in the range of normal.
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@divalounger (6182)
• United States
12 Jul 19
I read about those quakes--scary! We live near a fault line in the Bay Area--and I keep hoping that when we have a bigger quake, that my house will still be standing
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@garymarsh6 (23978)
• United Kingdom
12 Sep 19
Glad no one was injured. I have experienced an earthquake while I was sleeping when we were staying in San Francisco. Sadly I slept through the whole experience mind you I had been up for over 24 hours travelling to the USA. I think I am of the same mindset as you. The hurricane we had here many years ago was quite frightening to say the least.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Sep 19
Yes, I have slept through many earthquakes. I much prefer them to hurricanes and tornadoes!
@TheHorse (238280)
• Walnut Creek, California
8 Jul 19
I've been spared. I was in a tornado in Grinnell Iowa, but the three people killed were not me. I was still in Iowa when the '89 'quake hit the Bay Area. I've been through several small 'quakes here in the Bay Area, but they've all been little more than excuses to provide data to USGS and post on Facebook, asking my local fiends if they felt them.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
8 Jul 19
@TheHorse - Our oldest daughter was in the '89 quake in San Francisco. She was working in a highrise at the time, and had to walk down 32 flights of stairs. Then, she could not call anyone, because communication was broken down. She couldn't find a bus or taxi, so she walked to the home of a friend and waited for them to come home so she could stay with them. Later that night, she was finally able to call us and let us know she was OK. We worried about that earthquake, because she lived in Oakland at the time and took the Bay Bridge home, so we were worried when we saw the pictures of the bridge collapse on the news. That is the closest anyone in our family came to being injured in an earthquake. The ones we experienced here this week just shook things up a bit in Orange County. It was much worse in the Mojave Desert.
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
31 Jul 19
#Elizaby - Actually, we ignore most of them. Even when they are a 4.9 or so, they rarely do anything more than shake things up a little. It is the ones which are 7.0 and higher which cause any damage, and those are very rare.
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@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
7 Jul 19
@sophie09 - I always hope that no one is injured by serious weather or natural disasters. We live on a volatile planet, though!
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