Tuesday, October 19, 2010

An Earthquake in Kansas?

Well not exactly, the epicenter was near Oklahoma City about 160 miles away from Wichita. But there I was, on October 13th, innocently staring at my computer screen about 9:00 am, and the building started to feel like it was moving around a bit. Not a lot, but noticeable and it lasted for about 15 seconds. At the time, I didn't even know it was actually an earthquake. I had no clue what it was. I was very busy working on a tax return and didn't really care what it was.
Darn taxes get harder to do every day.
It was a couple of hours later when another person in the building asked me if I felt it and told me there was an actual earthquake in Oklahoma. They determined it to be 4.3 on the Richter scale. I have never in my life felt an earthquake like that. They are extremely rare here in Kansas even though there are a couple of small fault lines in southeast Kansas. You would think that you might recognize an earthquake when it happens, but I didn't. No damage here that I know of. It's remarkable that we even felt it, but apparently it was felt in parts of Texas, Arkansas and Missouri also. It seems that the actual event was only about 3 miles underground and because of that the potential for feeling it further away is increased. Hell, I don't know anything about that. You folks that live in more earthquake prone areas would probably know much more about that stuff than me. I just know it as a bit eerie, and I didn't like it. I wonder what it might have felt like if I was riding at the time. Hmmmm...

6 comments:

  1. Dear CPA3485 (Jimbo):

    I have been in two earthquakes in my life. The first was in the Adirondacks. My home was a log cabin, tucked away at the end of a five-mile long road in the woods. It was an absolutely windless day, but the trees started whispering with an odd kind of hiss, as they were being shaken from the ground up. It lasted about 10 seconds. Sheetrock walls were cracked in the kitchen.

    The other one was in Oranfge Country, California. The furniture moved around in my 12th floor hotel room. This was in 1991 and I ran down 12 flights of stairs to get out. On the street, I realized I had not put on my shoes. I stayed outside for an hour.

    You may not have noticed anything on your bike (cute little scooter), as you would have simply compensated for minor wheel dancing. However, I suspect you might have noticed something if a six-foot wide crevice had opened in the road.

    Enjoy the fall while you can.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack • reep • Toad
    Twisted Roads

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  2. What's going on in Kansas? First hailstones the size of Mike Tyson's fist and now earthquakes. It's practically apocalyptic. You guys been teachin' evolution in your schools or sumthin'?
    ~Keith

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  3. Jack,
    Had I not been on the third floor of the building where my office is, I suspect I might not have noticed it, but this old building built in the early 30's swayed just a bit almost in a bit of a circle. Very weird.
    My wife didn't get to experience it, or just didn't notice it as she thought she was driving in her Subaru when it happened.
    I had a very wonderful aunt that lived in San Diego for most of her life. We used to drive out to visit her on family vacations when I was a kid, and I experienced a small earthquake one year when we were out there. She used to have her own rating system for earthquakes depending on the number of plates that would fall off a shelf or the wall. "Oh, that was just a 2 plater" she would say. But she was used to them having lived in an area prone to quakes. I am obviously not used to them. I'll take tornadoes any day. At least with them you usually get some warning beforehand.

    Thanks for visiting,

    Jimbo

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  4. Keith,
    I actually think it is Oklahoma that is the problem. Those Okies are renowned for their ability to conjure up disasters with biblical proportions.
    BTW we got rid of some of the people on the state school board that wanted to go back to biblical times and avoid teaching evolution. I'm not saying we are back to normal, but some sanity has returned to us.

    Jim

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  5. cpa3485:

    we don't get many earthquakes here, but we are in the earthquake zone. I remember one being in one about 20 years ago, was just a few vibrations.

    I notice from your screen that your tax returns are similar to the ones here in Canada. Sometimes they are very puzzling . . .

    bob
    Wet Coast Scootin

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  6. Bobskoot,
    I would think that you would get a few quakes now and then since you are on the rim of fire so to speak.
    And yes those tax programs are very "puzzling".
    What really bothers me is that balding spot on the back of my head. It didn't use to be there.
    I blame my barber. He says he can fix it, but I told him that I wasn't that vain.

    Glad to see you lurking around the blog world again after your trip.

    Jimbo

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