Central California Earthquake??

Question

I just felt the 5.6 --5.8 earthquake.
The earthquake I just experienced recently was terribley short, but deadly-like.
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1. How can you get the earthquake experience out of your mind???

2. When will the next big earthquake happen? (I know no one can predict 100%, but how can you tell???)

Answer 1

One way to get it out of your mind is to put it in context. I read a book on statical possibilities a few years back that said:

If you live in California, and if the "Big One" that they have been predicting for so many years hits at the worst possible time of day (evening commute) and is centered in either LA or SF (most people) the odds that you will die as a result of the quake are the same as that you will die of whooping cough that year.

Watching the evening news after the last big fatal quake is S. California I noted that more people died in the next two weeks on the east coast as a result of winter weather than died in the quake.

Certainly something to prepare for, but not to worry about. You are more likely to be severely inconvenienced than injured so have an earthquake survival kit handy.

Answer 2

How old are you? I'm assuming you weren't around for the 1989 quake. Trust me... this one was NOTHING. It's the biggest we've had in quite a while, but still not very big. Certainly not "deadly-like".

The fact is, other parts of the country have several hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, etc... which kill hundreds of people every year. We don't get any of those. So, if you put it into perspective, we have less to worry about. (however, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc... can be predicted, so they have the advantage on that).

So... just don't worry about it. It wasn't that bad, and major earthquakes are VERY rare (and the small ones happen pretty much daily... we just don't feel them). And even the "major" ones aren't that bad. The 1989 earthquake, for as "deadly" as they've made it out to be, only killed 64 people, out of the 6 million or so in the Bay Area at the time. In comparison, in the midwest, more people die than that every summer just from heat stroke from 100 degree and humid weather. So it's not worth worrying about.

As far the "big one"... scientists have been giving arbitrary predictions for decades now, and it's yet to happen. It could happen anytime, or it may never happen. However, one thing most agree on is that if a huge one happens that actually causes mass destruction, it will be felt all over the continent. The midwest and east coast have the biggest fault lines in the entire country... they just aren't currently active (some have been, as recently as the 1930s or so)... so anything big enough to cause major damage here would shift the plates enough to set those fault lines off, too... and their fault lines are bigger, and their buildings aren't built to withstand earthquakes. So oddly enough, if the "big one" happens, we're safer in California than most other places in the country.

Point being? It might happen, it might not. It's not really worth worrying about, though.

Answer 3

If you live in California, you just have to accept that earthquakes will happen sooner or later; just like any driver on the road knows that sooner or later they will be involved in a traffic accident of some kind. The benefits outweigh the risks.

It's reassuring to remember, however, that they are rarely deadly, and the high building standards in the U.S. insure that even in the strongest quakes (like the 7.2 1989 quake) that the deaths only number in the dozens, not hundreds or thousands like in some developing countries).

There is no way to predict the next big quake with any reliability. Your pets may or may not sense the subtle approach of the tremor; the weather may or may not be funky "earthquake weather"; the quake may or may not show minute "early warning" patterns that scientists can detect. History shows that big quakes are *usually* few and far between, so you probably don't have to worry about it for a long time.

How do you get the traumatic experience out of your mind? Focus on the facts and make sure you're prepared. Review emergency safety procedures with your family, and stock up on emergency supplies.

Answer 4

You will be jumpy for a few days, particularly if there are after shocks. But eventually, you'll settle back into your routine and it will be out of your mind till the next one.

This one was on the Hayward fault. I live in Hayward, so though my town wasn't the epicenter, it was in the neighborhood. And I knew, as it was happening, that it was the worst one felt in this area since the quake of 1989 (also known as the World Series or the Loma Prieta quake). But 5.6 is still moderate.

Incidentally, on the subject of seeking cover, I read that recent research suggests instead of heading for a doorway, you should lie down next to a large piece of furniture -- a bed or a couch -- so large falling objects will hit it first and lean down over you like a tent. I've never tried that. Don't know if it's a good method or not. But in 89, I was under a utility table at work while ceiling tiles fell all around me.

Answer 5

1. You live with it. Believe me, it is safer here in the Bay Area than almost every other part of the country. We don't have hurricanes, tornado's and other deadly storms which kill hundreds more every year than over a century of earthquakes.

2. You never know when the big one is going to happen. It just happens. No one can even come within 10% of predicting a quake. Everytime they do, it never happens. Your dog or cat's behavior is not a good predictor either (both my cat and dog just laid on the ground asleep when the one hit yesterday evening)

The quake yesterday was on the Calavaras fault, not the Hayward fault as some other poster stated.

Answer 6

I live on the Central Coast of California, we didn't feel it here.

You don't get the earthquake experience out of your mind, you prepare for the next one.

We have provisions for 1 week, an auxiliary water supply in case the power is off, and a generator. I have latches on every cabinet, and all knick knacks are earthquake-glued down, securely. Being prepared gives you peace of mind.

There is no way to forecast an earthquake. We here in California just need to be prepared, and realize that if we lived back east, we could be dealing with hurricanes, tornados, snow storms, flooding, etc.

They have been predicting "The Big One" all of my life, and I have been a native Californian for 66 years.

Answer 7

The one indicator is if you live in an area near a fault line. Earthquakes happen due to the stress between two plates, whether both are continental plates or oceanic, or both. People who live near the San Andreas fault experience earthquakes on a daily basis, they aren't always noticeable. One indicator of a big quake could be a lot of small ones increasing in number over a short period. The main indicator is just living in the area. Normally it takes a 3.0 to feel one, and many 3.5 and lower size earthquakes happen weekly, some daily near these fault lines. I'd be concerned if their number nearly doubles.

Answer 8

With every day pass, our country is getting into more and more trouble. The inflation, unemployment and falling value of dollar are the main concern for our Government but authorities are just sleeping, they don’t want to face the fact. Media is also involve in it, they are force to stop showing the real economic situation to the people. I start getting more concern about my future as well as my family after watching the response of our Government for the people that affected by hurricane Katrina.

According to recent studies made by World Bank, the coming crisis will be far worse than initially predicted. So if you're already preparing for the crisis (or haven't started yet) make sure you watch this video at http://www.familysurvival.tv and discover the 4 BIG issues you'll have to deal with when the crisis hits, and how to solve them fast (before the disaster strikes your town!) without spending $1,000s on overrated items and useless survival books.

Answer 9

A 5.6 earthquake is an interesting "ride", but certainly not "deadly-like"...

1) JUST FORGET about it... or better yet, work with your family and make sure your home is prepared for a REAL earthquake.

2) Who knows !! Pre-shock swarms can indicate a coming earthquake... but also can't. Just learn from the Boy Scouts and "Be Prepared"

Answer 10

Wow I live in Pinole and like heack of ppl were talking bout it 2day and I waz like there was an earthquake yesterday that hard? man I dont know I lived an earthquake an actuall earthquake and it waz like 7.5 or something and u know after those kind of earthquake happen u always have like lil earthquakes happen all over the day and night and u just have to let time go on and u will kind of forget it u know, but its just something u can'nt forget at all, I suer I am talking about an earthquake that happend 6 years ago and I still remeber every single second, every single sound I heard and specially that one that goes like ZZZZZZZZZZZ, nways wish u cant get it out of ur mind.

I dont know hehehe SOON xD