False alarm!
By Denise
@petatonicsca (7070)
Japan
July 29, 2020 10:28pm CST
I was riding my bike to the store this morning when my phone started vibrating and whooping and saying "Earthquake!" (in English, that's a first). I immediately pulled to the side of the road that looked like it had the least amount of stuff that could fall on me. Another lady on a bicycle in front of me pulled over too. Then the public announcement speakers started broadcasting the earthquake alarm.
And we waited.
After about 20 seconds, which I know is how long it would take for any earthquake I would probably feel and get an alarm for would have reached me, I pulled out the phone. It said there was a 7.3 off Chiba and we should be feeling seismic intensity 4. Well, we didn't feel nuthin', so I got suspicious.
In about five minutes, a correction in the magnitude (5.8) and the epicenter (a small island south of us that has next to no earthquake monitoring equipment) came up. "Oh sorry, there was indeed an earthquake but nobody felt it." Our hearts stopped racing and we went on with our days. Such excitement for the morning.
If nothing else, it was a good drill.
4 people like this
5 responses
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
30 Jul 20
I thought Chile had an early earthquake warning system. It doesn't broadcast to your phones?
1 person likes this
@gr8nana6 (6614)
• Conyers, Georgia
30 Jul 20
Wow that was scary, it's good though that you get those alerts on your phone.
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Jul 20
It's good that you get these warnings - and in English, in this case. lol






