Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Did You Feel It?

Yes, it happened, so let's just go ahead and talk about it. Yesterday there was a 5.8 earthquake centered in Virginia, USA and felt from miles around. I felt it here in West Virginia. I was in a training class and all of a sudden, the building started shaking and popping. At first we though it was a strong wind just swaying the building until the boss guy went in his office and said that there was no wind. Then we thought one of the chemical plants had an explosion. West Virginia is full of chemical plants. I was getting ready to text hubby since he works at the one closest to my work when someone from outside the room yelled that it was an earthquake. The buildings around us began to evacuate. We learned it was centered in Virginia and I started freaking out. My bff lives in Virginia. If I felt what I felt being this far away, I'd hate to know what happened where she was, right in the middle of it all.
I started calling her, it went straight to voicemail. I tried again, same thing. I tried about ten more times before I tried her boyfriend. He didn't answer either. Then, the intercom came on for us to evacuate. My boss was out at a doctor's appointment, so I sent her a text to tell her what was going on. I kept trying to call my bff and her boyfriend. I didn't know if maybe the phone lines were down or maybe if there was just so many calls going in and out that I just wasn't getting through. I finally gave up and called her mom. She didn't know there was an earthquake so she started freaking out. She said she was going to try to get a hold of her too. Finally after about 20 minutes, she called me back and said that my bff and her cousin got a hold of her cousin's mom and they were ok. Knowing that, I called my mom to see if she felt anything. Mom said she thought she was getting dizzy and that was it. She didn't know what really happened.
After an hour we were let back in. My bff's mom called me again and said that she got a hold of my bff and that she was still trying to call me. It took me about another 10 tries, but I got her.
My bff and her cousin were out shopping when it started. She said that stuff started falling off the shelves and then the shelves started wobbling. She grabbed her cousin and ran out of the store and by that time it had quit. She's ok, and that's all that matters. She was a little shook up and afraid to drive for a while.
So, that's my experience. I spent most of my time worried about my bff since she was right in the middle of it all. I heard last night that the tremors were felt all the way up in Canada.
I was reading some stuff on it yesterday and I saw some comments from people on the West Coast, in California. Now, I want you guys to understand, that here on the East Coast, stuff like this just doesn't happen. We are use to tornados, hurricanes, and stuff like that, but when the earth moves from under us, that's completely different. Yes, we were freaking out. Yes, it was the first time most of us felt anything like that. We just aren't prepared for earthquakes over here. It doesn't happen, not like this anyway.
I do think that some people are blowing this way out of proportion though. No one got hurt and no buildings fell over. It was different, but now lets focus on the next problem. Hurricane Irene. She's coming. Now over here in good ol' WV, we will probably only get some strong winds and a good storm, but nothing like they are going to get in the Carolinas.
So, here's my awesome thing of the day and I think I even used it before, but it applies here as well~ **getting news that someone you know is just fine after a natural disaster hits near them**

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