Tuesday, August 23, 2011

True Life: I've Survived Two Earthquakes

I am so very behind on my blogging. I have to blog about everything that happened this past week but this is newsworthy!

I just survived an Earthquake!

I remember the one back in December of 2003. I was in the office at the middle school and there was loud noise and everything shook for a second.

Today's was much scarier!

I was sitting here at the computer desk, applying to a job (story of my life). And the house started to shake. Which here is usually no big deal. Our house is old and it will shake when a  big truck drives by. Also we live by Fort Pickett, so the helicopters fly over all the time on the way to and from base.

Anyway, I yell to my sister to look out the window and see why the house is shaking. And she's telling me, "I don't see anything."

And the shaking is getting worse. I'm pretty sure I'm yelling, "What's making the house shake? What's going on?"

We both start walking toward the kitchen (I have no idea why) and stuff starts falling off the bookshelf in the living room. Then Dani says "I think we're having an earthquake. Stand in the doorway." So we stand there in the door frame between the kitchen and the living room until the house stops shaking. It lasted about 30 to 45 seconds, I think.

Then I can't remember what I did next; it was one of three things. I turned on the television and there was no news on. I tried to call my mom at work and Patti to see if they felt anything. And I went outside to see if that could give me any clues.

When I went outside, my aunt who lives across the street was pulling in the driveway and getting out to get the mail. I must have looked frantic when she saw me; I'm like holding my chest because my heart was pounding. I asked her if she just felt that and she says, "Feel what?"

I tell her about the house shaking and stuff falling off the shelves. And she's like nope, didn't feel a thing, maybe a pipe burst under your house. She told me she'd check to see if anything fell at her house.

Dani then comes outside to get me because earthquake stuff is finally on the television. Dani had also gotten in touch with mom, who felt it at school, and Aspen, who said her desk chair shook in Blacksburg.

I also finally get in touch with Patti, who also felt it. So I call my Aunt Aimee, across the street, and tell her that we did in fact have an earthquake.

And we've been watching the news ever since! 5.8 seems so intense!

Definitely one of the scariest moments of my life!

Where were you when the earthquake hit? What was your reaction?

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