# Earthquake **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821 "2009-05-18T04:19:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/1 "2009-05-18T04:19:59Z")
Whoa! A 5.0 centered in the Hawthorne-Lennox area. Felt very strongly here in Carson. Are all LA area dopers OK? Any damage? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/2 "2009-05-18T04:20:48Z")
_sigh_ I miss the earthquakes. ---
**Author:** ![Daffyd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daffyd/32/8923_2.png) [@Daffyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daffyd)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/3 "2009-05-18T04:21:42Z")
Didn’t even notice here in Pasadena… so all fine here… ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/4 "2009-05-18T04:22:53Z")
Felt it strongly here in the LAX area. I’m usually pretty laid back about earthquakes, but I actually ducked and covered for this one. No damage, except for one puffed-up and nervous cat. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/5 "2009-05-18T04:28:30Z")
I was in Garden Grove at the time. I didn’t feel it though I saw stuff around me shake a bit. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/6 "2009-05-18T04:48:56Z")
In San Pedro. I’ve lived here 14 years and this is only the second earthquake I’ve felt here. It was pretty strong; the cats promptly went under the bed. I don’t want any bigger ones, thanks very much. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/7 "2009-05-18T04:52:11Z")
It was a good shake here in Westwood. Knocked one of our hamsters off the platform in his cage, poor little guy … . ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/8 "2009-05-18T05:02:50Z")
We felt it quite strongly in Long Beach. We were on the phone with our realtor, and both of us immediately jumped up and headed for the sleeping baby’s room. My wife scooped up the kid and we had plenty of time to stand under doorframes before the shaking stopped. It was apparent that it wasn’t super-strong (compared to Northridge '94 as I felt it from Pasadena), but it went on for a long time and definitely got our attention. One picture frame sitting on a shelf fell over, but we haven’t noticed anything else. If there have been any aftershocks, we have not felt them. The kid probably would have slept through the whole thing if we hadn’t grabbed her out of bed. As it was she kind of groggily observed the whole thing and went back to sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/9 "2009-05-18T06:23:40Z")
We’re OK. The Princess and I felt it and ran out the front door, but by then the shaking was over. My folks were watching some beauty pageant in the living room, and we spent the next hour or so watching with them and calling my sisters to make sure they were OK. Couldn’t get in touch with my ex, but I figured he’s OK since he was on a bus to the Valley at the time. Will call him tomorrow. Grandma was picked up by my uncle because she was feeling paranoid in her 8th story apartment, and is spending the night in the guest room. Mom is still jumpy and made sure I have my glass door unlocked so the kid and I can run into the back yard if we have to. Sorry I posted so late. ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/10 "2009-05-18T06:55:22Z")
I felt it in Redlands. By the time I figured out what it was it was over. Didn’t even rattle the windows. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/11 "2009-05-18T08:37:58Z")
I was at [Paganfest 2009](http://www.metalinjection.net/reviews/paganfest-2009) @ The House of Blues in West Hollywood, just a few miles away. Didn’t feel a damn thing. That’s two earthquakes in a row that I missed. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/12 "2009-05-18T18:42:53Z")
Was finishing dinner on Ventura Blvd in the Valley. I felt it, mentioned it at the midpoint, and reaction around the table was “is it?” or “Don’t feel nuthing!” Interesting point; I was sitting and the people who felt it were also sitting. The standers didn’t feel anything or very little at all. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/13 "2009-05-18T20:20:36Z")
That was fun! Down in the OC, it started off as a soft roll/rumble, but ended with a nice sharp shaking. Had it pegged as a 5, and early numbers said that, but I think they’ve downgraded it to a 4.7 now. Nice one. Keep 'em coming, if you subscribe to the “pressure valve” theory. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/14 "2009-05-18T22:25:14Z")
Pomona here. Turned on the news an hour afterward and wondered what all the fuss was about. Didn’t notice a thing. I was more freaked out by the somber tone of the “breaking news” than I would have been had I actually felt the thing. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/15 "2009-05-18T22:26:18Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Keep 'em coming, if you subscribe to the “pressure valve” theory. Oh, and I want to enthusiastically second this! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/16 "2009-05-19T00:17:49Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I was more freaked out by the somber tone of the “breaking news” than I would have been had I actually felt the thing. Seriously! This is Fault Line Central, USA! How the hell can they get so serious and freaked out every time we have a moderate quake? I have lived straddling faults my whole life (watch it, now) and quakes just aren’t that big of a deal here. If a quake doesn’t bring down structures or hurt people, most of us don’t even notice it… ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/17 "2009-05-19T00:52:18Z")
> [@Daffyd](#): > > Didn’t even notice here in Pasadena… so all fine here… I am shocked. I was in Arcadia (borders on Pasadena) and I felt it plenty. No damage, but it went on long enough - 10 seconds or more - to be distinctly scary. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/18 "2009-05-19T01:09:07Z")
Felt it in San Diego - I thought my boyfriend was shaking my computer chair to get my attention. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/19 "2009-05-19T01:44:11Z")
About 10 seconds of shaking here that scared our cat half to death. (that would be what, 4.5 lives?) Other than that no damage. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821/20 "2009-05-19T22:50:07Z")
Anybody just feel that? I’m in downtown LA on the 5th floor. That one felt fairly minor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthquake/496821.md?page=2)