Event 40182619
Posted on January 15, 2006 by Gene
There’s no use trying to figure out the whys and wherefores of the tectonic plates, the kinks and bends of the rock or the motion of the waves. Last year I reported to you that I had experienced my first California earthquake, a bang and a quick wave and it was all over — story of my life. This was actually the second earthquake I’d ever experienced, the first being back home in Virginia. That one was about a 4, about 100 miles away, and it swayed my house and me in it; it was a disconcerting event.
I bring this up because we had an earthquake here early this morning. It was a 3.6, centered about 22 miles from my house… and I never felt a thing.
Yes, it was at nearly 3am, but I’m a light sleeper as evidenced by the fact that Diego woke me up whining around 3:30am to go out.
It is strange how waves travel — or don’t — in different areas. This one, located in the mountains to the east of San Jose, seems to have petered out before it made it into the valley below. They call it Event 40182619, but I call it a non-event.
A minor earthquake shook the ground about 20 miles north of Morgan Hill early this morning, but no damage was reported.
The magnitude 3.6 earthquake was recorded at about 2:42 a.m., according to the United States Geological Survey in Menlo Park. Its epicenter was about 21 miles east of San Jose city hall.
Officials with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said they’d received no calls related to the quake.
I find myself becoming more and more paranoid every day about earthquakes. I admit to a great deal of curiosity about what it might be like to be in an earthquake, even though I know it will frighten me. At the same time, I am terrified about what I could lose if a big one strikes. A house that I owe $540,000 on that could become a very expensive pile of rubble? People console me by pointing out that my house is in excellent condition and has been standing here since 1937; but in that time there has only been one major quake here, 1989′s Loma Prieta. One of my neighbors pointed out that a house behind me lost the entire front during that quake, but I haven’t heard any other anecdotes about damage in this area. Landslides, liquefaction, the terms all float around in my head and make me crazy, waiting for the inevitable and wishing I could somehow manage to have a camera running when it hits.