# Earthquake in Bay Area **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 2, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271 "2007-03-02T04:45:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OrganicMatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/898d66/32.png) [@OrganicMatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrganicMatter)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/1 "2007-03-02T04:45:23Z")
Anyone else feel the earthquake a few minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/2 "2007-03-02T04:49:39Z")
Yes, seems to have been centered in Lafayette, preliminary magnitude 4.2. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/3 "2007-03-02T05:12:47Z")
Holy cow! I wanted to check out what the OP was talking about so I googled earthquake and found this [site](http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/). And there were 274 earthquakes in the last week in CA. Most are too small to be felt, I guess. But wow, I had no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/4 "2007-03-02T05:34:45Z")
I felt it. It started off fairly ordinarily – just a gentle rocking motion, as many earthquakes around here are. But then it started to get pretty jolty, which lasted a good 4-5 seconds, followed by a gradual trailing off which seemd to last at least another 10-15 seconds. For being only a magnitude 4, it sure did shake a lot. Actually knocked a few things around; I thought my TV stand was going to collapse. I’m about 7 miles or so from the epicenter, so that’s probably why it felt stronger than previous mag-4s. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/5 "2007-03-02T06:20:33Z")
I didn’t feel a thing. I’m in Los Gatos, but I might have dozed off from missing so much sleep last night. It pretty much has to be a magnitude six or better to get my attention anyway. I was a little less than ten years old when the Tehachapi quake of 1952 hit. At a magnitude 7.3 on the Richter scale, it was powerful enough to shake up the Los Angeles area where I lived, where there was no significant structural damage, but where swimming pools had the water sloshed out of them and there was a lot of necessary cleanup in houses and stores. The 1994 Northridge quake, whose epicenter was only a few miles from where I lived in Burbank at the time, was a magnitude 6.7. That one hit early in the morning, and I was in bed at the time. It woke me up, but I just rode it out in bed. I’m not really so “ho hum” about earthquakes. But I figure they’re inevitible, and, after having gone through several good ones, I’m still here. If I lived in Kansas I’d have tornadoes to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/6 "2007-03-02T07:29:24Z")
I felt it. I was in Newark, sitting on a chair on the ground floor. To me, it started with a sharp jolt, with the motion quickly decaying away in a couple of seconds.[Apparently,](http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/) there was an after shock of 2.8 about 6 minutes later, but unsurprisingly I didn’t feel that at all. You can report to the USGS how the earthquake felt to you by clicking the “Did you feel it?” link [here](http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/STORE/X40194055/ciim_display.html) Any word on which fault is responsible? at first glance, it looks just a little too far east to be the Hayward. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/7 "2007-03-02T07:56:38Z")
And people think I live in a dangerous place. Please keep us informed. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/8 "2007-03-02T07:58:36Z")
Daly City checking in; I felt nothing. But I was also working out at the time, so… ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/9 "2007-03-02T08:28:04Z")
[QUOTE=Largo62] I didn’t feel a thing. I’m in Los Gatos, but I might have dozed off from missing so much sleep last night. It pretty much has to be a magnitude six or better to get my attention anyway. [/QUOTE] That’s funny, I was driving around the N. Santa Cruz Ave/Blossom Hill intersection right around that time and didn’t feel a thing. Although I’m not sure why everybody is perking up about this one, it’s just 4.2. There was a 5.4 up the coast this monday and I don’t remember anybody talking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/10 "2007-03-02T08:31:51Z")
Just out of curiosity **OrganicMatter** , do you always end questions with periods. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/11 "2007-03-02T08:34:02Z")
[QUOTE=Rigamarole] Just out of curiosity **OrganicMatter** , do you always end questions with periods. [/QUOTE] Um, irony ho? Seriously, was that intentional? ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/12 "2007-03-02T08:41:42Z")
The other day there was a 3. something, centered near Berkeley that apparently shook one of the TV studios in SF up. They interrupted with a special report from the newsroom, and actually spent a few minutes on it (after they were aware of the magnitude). They even followed it up later, with a “We’ll keep you posted …” but managed to keep a serious face on it. My sister noticed the one tonight, but I didn’t, though I was in the next room. (down in San Jose ). At the USGS site, you can even report on past earthquakes (e.g. the 1952 Tehachapi one, Largo62). They’re trying to get a better idea of how different types of quakes are perceived. ---
**Author:** ![Rich\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@Rich\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_Mann)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/13 "2007-03-02T09:02:50Z")
We all felt it here in Bay Point. A rumble followed by a couple of jolts trailing off into waves. I also felt the first aftershock, barely. I also felt the 3.4 in Berkeley the other day. I was down on Fourth Street. It started as a rumble like a big truck going by but then there was one huge jolt that rattled all the paintings on the studio walls. I’m not the sort who gets shaken up (pun intended) by quakes. I almost kind of like them. It’s like living on a roller coaster that’s so flat and level most of the time that you forget you’re on it, but has the occasional surprise dip or loop. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/14 "2007-03-02T09:15:06Z")
[QUOTE=Red Barchetta] Um, irony ho? Seriously, was that intentional? [/QUOTE] It was a complete accident. (let’s see how long it takes him to catch on) ---
**Author:** ![Penchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Penchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penchan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/15 "2007-03-02T10:02:18Z")
I’m in Berkeley and I definitely felt it. Photo frames, stuffed animals and small knick knacks fell off of my shelves during the earthquake. Then again, I live in an old home and maybe the foundation isn’t so stable. What a nice thought. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/16 "2007-03-02T15:09:05Z")
[QUOTE=Rich Mann] It’s like living on a roller coaster that’s so flat and level most of the time that you forget you’re on it, but has the occasional surprise dip or loop. [/QUOTE] Good analogy. . .but you c an get _off_ a rollercoaster! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/17 "2007-03-02T15:58:19Z")
I didn’t feel a thing. I’m in south San Jose. I’ve felt one earthquake in my 11 years here. It ended as soon as I realized it wasn’t a truck driving by. There was an earthquake back home in Oregon before I moved, but we were on vacation…in the Bay Area. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/18 "2007-03-02T16:37:34Z")
I didn’t feel anything either, but then I’m in Seattle, so that’s not surprising. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/19 "2007-03-02T16:49:31Z")
I’m in Walnut Creek. It was a single sharp jolt- felt like a truck hit my apartment building or something like that. No damage, but it scared the Neville kitties- both of their tails got big and puffed-up. I’m not sure we’d ever seen Katya’s tail puffed up before this. ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271/20 "2007-03-02T16:50:36Z")
Definitely felt it out here in Walnut Creek. We were feeding the newborns at the time, and amusingly enough, one of them started to eat _really_ well after the quake stopped. I figure she must have thought the whole house was her bouncy seat. So there was a 2.8 aftershock? I _thought_ I felt a tiny little something a few minutes later, but neither my wife nor I were completely sure. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake-in-bay-area/394271.md?page=2)