My First LA Earthquake

This morning at 4 am, I experienced my first earthquake in LA. Actually, this was the first earthquake that I can remember being in ever. I think I was in a few when I was little but I don't remember them at all. Apparently there was one when we were living in The Gambia that was so shaky that things fell off the wall and plates shattered but I stayed asleep the entire time.

Well, this 4.4 tremor certainly woke me up. I was so startled that I grabbed my glasses off the night stand and even considered running into my roommate's room or get in my doorway.

According to the news, this earthquake struck beneath LA's eastern suburbs and was centered 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, 12 miles under the city of Pico Rivera. Fortunately, there was no damage or injuries reported. California has not had a major damaging earthquake since 1994, when the magnitude-6.7 Northridge quake struck greater Los Angeles, killing dozens, injuring thousands and causing $25 billion in damage. I guess this is what happens when you live in one of most seismically active areas in the United States. Let's just hope no earthquakes like that happen while I am living here. In fact now I'm terrified of that really happening! Earthquakes are just so unnatural, the ground should not be moving.

Now I hear that apparently April is earthquake and tsunami awareness month! The Red Cross recommends that everyone have an emergency disaster kit at home, in the car and at work or school. “While earthquakes large enough to cause fatalities are few and far between, it stands to reason that the longer it’s been since the last one, the closer we are to the next one. Earthquakes are a fact of life in California. We cannot predict when they will occur. The best we can do is to take prudent steps in an effort to be ready.”

"It takes an earthquake to remind us that we walk on the crust of an unfinished earth." -Kuralt, Charles