My first quake

So Kelly and I moved here to Oakland back in July. We had heard about the earthquakes and of course, everyone back east made it sound like they happened every-other-day. So I wasn't sure what to expect when the ground would start shaking.

As each day went by, I would go through my routine like everything was normal. But tucked away in the back of my mind, I would wonder what my first tremor would feel like. Sometimes I'd ponder where I might be. Would I be relaxing on the couch? Would I get caught off-guard while in the shower? Or would I, god forbid, be stuck on the 40th floor of an office tower in San Francisco? And what would I do? Would I jump for a doorway with paranoia? Would I remain calm and try to act like a seasoned quake veteran? The questions go on and on.

And now I have some answers.

This morning around 10:30 a.m., while sitting at work, I felt my first California earthquake. It was only a 3.4 magnitude, which is very minor on the shaking scale. The quake was actually centered to the north of Oakland in Vallejo. It felt almost like I was sitting in the front seat of a truck while driving on a manicured dirt road. Better yet, it felt like ripples going through my seat and shaking my ass.

Everyone around me looked up and most started asking each other if we felt it. It only lasted about 2 seconds and I honestly didn't even have enough time to think. I just sat there in my chair like a deer in headlights, trying to decide if this was really happening. There was no paranoia, but one co-worker did get worked up enough to make everyone else feel uncomfortable. As I said to a friend, her worries actually made it seem worse.

So there it is, my first earthquake experience. And I know there are California natives reading this and thinking...dude, it was only 3.4. But when you feel the ground move like that for the first time, it doesn't matter what the magnitude, it's downright strange! As my buddy Adam would say..."that ain't right!" So as my boss said to me just after the event... I can now say I'm officially a Californian.

posted by DVS @ 6:54 PM