The Earth Moved

Guest · The Earth Moved

We've just almost certainly had an earthquake - really scary. Some areas are without power and there's a smell of gas in the air here although we have no mains gas in the village. It's been felt from E.Sussex to Dover and Deal a distance of about 30-40 miles. It happened just after 8.15 and evidently there's been a second tremor but we didn't feel that.

Will update when we know more.

Peggy

Guest · Earthquake Update

I'ts now been confirmed as an earth tremor with a second shock having been felt although we didn't. We're fine no damage and have power etc. However there are areas that don't have power and there are reports of structural damage. It measured 4.7 and was felt from E. Sussex to Suffolk

Peggy

carolan

Did you actually feel it, Peggy? I experienced one in Peru once, a very minor one, where you could see the Christmas cards waving and a glass of water sitting on the shelf had the water sliding backwards and forwards from side to side - quite eerie to see.

Our instructioms (as earthquakes are quite common in Peru, of course) was to get in the doorway, the door frame is the safest bit apparently -advice for in case you get another tremor!

Carol

Guest

Yes felt it and saw it. I was sitting at the computer when the house moved and my big glass cabinet moved back and forth and the contents rattled violently.

We went outside and our neighbours were out there as well wondering what had happened. I thought it was a 'quake' as I'd felt similar when I lived in Germany. There was a huge quake in N. Italy and the tremors where felt up into Germany and Belgium.

My Mum in Hythe has no power, fortunately cooks by gas so can feed herself and make a drink.

Don't know exactly where the epicentre was. However according to the 'net' there is a fault like through Kent - the Kent-Artois so presumably that was what caused it.

Jenny

Hi Peggy,
We experience one in Melton Mowbray a few years ago and your right the earth did move!
jenny

admin

I hope everyone is ok, and that not to much damage has been caused.. It must have been pretty scary Peggy, Ive seen the effects on TV of course but luckily Ive never been involved in one..

Take care..

Todd.

Guest

Here are the details. The epicentre was just in the sea off Dymchurch on Romney Marsh about 8 miles from us.

Earthquake Details
Magnitude 4.7
Date-Time Saturday, April 28, 2007 at 07:18:11 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Saturday, April 28, 2007 at 8:18:11 AM
= local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 51.024°N, 1.030°E
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
Distances 25 km (15 miles) S of Canterbury, England, UK
85 km (55 miles) ENE of Brighton, England, UK
100 km (60 miles) ESE of LONDON, United Kingdom
150 km (95 miles) WNW of Lille, France

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 7.1 km (4.4 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters Nst= 40, Nph= 40, Dmin=395 km, Rmss=0.95 sec, Gp= 86°,
M-type=body magnitude (Mb), Version=7
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID us2007bsal

Susie Veale

So glad you're ok Peggy...that must have been a very scary event for you. Rolling Eyes

I remember an earth tremor here in Sydney about 10 years ago, but certainly not as vigorous as yours sounded. Our house trembled a little and was most evident when a plant basket hanging from the ceiling in the corner of the family room, suddenly swung rapidly back and forth. It's a weird feeling, isn't it?

I found this page online from the BBC...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6602677.stm

Susie xx

Guest

I've just heard from my brother who lives in Folkestone and it's really quite bad there. No power so all the shops are closed, a lot of damage in the supermarkets with bottles and jars off the shelves and smashed. Chimneys and ceilings down and also at least one building collapsed. People there are safe however.The town has rubble lying in the streets and the police are on full alert with helicopters flying overhead.

My brother is due on shift tonight at the nuclear power station and doesn't know what's happening there. Can't get through as the phone lines are down at the moment with the power outage

marza

My daughter in Canterbury slept through the whole thing! But then she also slept through the hurricane in 1987 when she was 6 weeks old! Glad you are ok Peggy

Mari xx

catlover

Glad everything is ok Peggy - must have been pretty scary! Jane

Karen

Just glad you're safe Peggy. I have felt one in Hereford years ago but it was only a small one. I didn't know that door frames are one of the safest place to be Carol. Lets hope things get back to normal for everyone soon.
Kar x

carolan

Maybe they make the door frames stronger in Peru because it's an earthquake country, Karen!

In the centre of a room it can all come down round you; outside, buildings can be falling and the earth itself can split of course. If you think about it, when you see pictures of buildings after earthquakes or other damage, quite often the frames are left standing and stand out quite starkly in the middle of the destruction.

Karen

That's true Carol. I hadn't thought about it before.

bestpi

Hi All,
So glad everyone is alright. Things can be reacquired but people . . .!

Carol is quite correct. An outside leading door frame Or, if you have an old porcelain steel bath tub climb in it, lay down and wait . Remember that after shocks can be higher in magnitude than the original quake, and since the follow a disruptive event that has already weakened the structure of your home of store. Look up when you leave where you are. Look above eye level more than normal. Many people died in the after shocks in California because the old building were crumbling and falling people who were frightened and ran out of the house and had pieces fall on them.

I have lived in both Alaska and California for quite some time. There are two tipes of tremor. The rolling quake which makes you almost virdigoish or dizzy. The there is the abrupt shift to one direction.

What kind would you say you all had?

#2 John US - Shaken, not stirred.

Brina

I only heard about this on the news during GMS this morning (that'll serve me right for hardly ever looking at the news while at uni) but glad you're ok Peggy. I've got a few friends here at uni who come from Kent and Folkstone areas so I'll have to speak to them and hope their families haven't suffered too much.

Guest

Thanks Marza. We have friends near Canterbury and they felt nothing at all.

We're fine and the house is fine. Folkestone took the brunt of it it seems. In fact the revised strength was 4.3 and in fact was mid channel off Dover. The American Geological site got it wrong.

Peggy

Guest

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