# 6.5 earthquake off Cape Mendocino. Aftershocks continuing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354 "2010-01-10T02:56:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/1 "2010-01-10T02:56:45Z")
Not much damage being reported. Storefront glass broken in Eureka. People’s homes and offices with various items strewn about in surrounding towns. There had been 2 or 3 aftershocks around 3.0 when a 4.2 came through while I was on the phone with my mom about a half hour ago. They are forecasting a 78% chance of an aftershock of magnitude 5.0 or greater in the next 7 days, and a 5-10% chance of another one as big as the 6.5. [http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/](http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/) ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/2 "2010-01-10T02:59:57Z")
Hang in! Glad you’re okay! ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/3 "2010-01-10T03:38:46Z")
Just called my parents in the North Bay. They didn’t feel it. /thrilling news. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/4 "2010-01-10T04:46:20Z")
11 total aftershocks now since 4:27pm Pacific, ranging from 2.0 to 4.5 ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/5 "2010-01-10T17:24:41Z")
Looks like 17 aftershocks over 2.0 in magnitude, 4 of them between 4.0 and 4.5, but at least they are all within the last day and no more within the last hour. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/6 "2010-01-10T23:27:27Z")
26 and counting now. This is getting ridunculous. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/7 "2010-01-11T01:09:10Z")
Were there are any tsunamis associated with these off shore quakes? I sincerely hope all the after-shocks are not pre-shocks for something catastrophic. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/8 "2010-01-11T01:38:14Z")
No tsunami warnings have been issued that I know of, and the lack of one has certainly been getting local media coverage. Whatever the algorithm variables that they use, this one just didn’t peg enough of them. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/9 "2010-01-11T02:18:06Z")
I remember we had aftershocks on and off again for weeks after the Northridge quake, **Cookies**. Just hang in there. 6.5 is a good-sized quake. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/10 "2010-01-11T02:26:45Z")
We’ve barely felt any of the aftershocks. I was living in Ferndale for the string of quakes in 1992 and don’t remember the tremblers going on and on in such numbers. But that was before instant feedback on the USGS site. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/11 "2010-01-11T02:58:50Z")
Oh, I thought they were really bothering you. I know they can be pretty freaky sometimes. I dont know if I could have tracked them online back in 1994, but if I could have, I didn’t. That was still pretty early for stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/12 "2010-01-11T03:23:44Z")
Friends and family are feeling them all in the surrounding area. They are arbitrary little things and the tension level is palpable out in public places. A small aftershock that happens to be closer than the big original quake can do even more damage than the big one. They aren’t things that people get desensitized to. Those who are feeling them spend a few agonizing moments each time not knowing if it is “the one” or not. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/13 "2010-01-11T22:34:51Z")
I’m in Arcata (10 min north of Eureka) and I’m not sure why this made headlines (internationally, even). The power went out for a few hours and the grocery stores had a bit of a cleanup to do, but there was no major damage or injury except one woman’s broken hip. OTOH, I was in a cafe and the minute after the quake, everyone was gathered outside listening to car radios for news and there was a very palpable sense of community and togetherness. Interesting how fear does that to people. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/14 "2010-01-12T00:45:49Z")
For me the anxiety usually comes in two parts. There’s immediate adrenaline-junky rush because I kinda like them so long as they’re harmless, then some anxiety felt during while I find out in real time if it is going to be harmless or not, and a far more intense post-quake anxiety for my Mom and her house out on brunt of things in the Honeydew/Petrolia area which is usually much closer to all of the epicenters that occur offshore. Depending on how quickly she can get word out through the phone, cb radio, or word-of-mouth relay that she is alright, that is a pretty sucky time for me personally. I was able to reach her cell phone from my landline within 15 minutes this time, and we were on the phone with eachother as she felt some of the aftershocks. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2010, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/6-5-earthquake-off-cape-mendocino-aftershocks-continuing/524354/15 "2010-01-12T04:04:23Z")
Big ones can feel like small ones if you are far enough away. If the ground barely shakes, it might be a big one, that is far away.