Largest UK earthquake in 24 years...

[GingerBiscuit]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/200802...e8fd03_11.html

and I slept right through it. It woke my boy up, but apparently I snored all the way through, finally waking up an hour later and mumbling something inconsequential about 'the cake is wobbling'.

Luckily no-one has been seriously hurt.

To put it into context, we are a fair distance from the epicentre, and he said 'it felt sort of like a truck right outside your window.'

edited to add BBC websit- slightly better coverage.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm

[crazylegs]

To be fair, it just felt like a particularly large and long train going past our house, we're about 200 miles from the epicentre.

[GingerBiscuit]

probably why, as a city kid, I slept right through it. Had there been actual house shaking and smashing of stuff I'd probably have woken up.

I read on one of my other forums a friend describing it as 'big worms ripped off from dune!'

[crazylegs]

I was still awake as I was winding down from work (can take a few hours after a late shift) and it was shaking the house but as soon as I realised what was actually happening I actually felt rather calm.

I've read on the BBC website that closer to the epicenter some people went running from their houses, which is exactly the WRONG thing to be doing, as your more likely to be hit by falling tile and glass, stay in your house in a door frame and you should be fine.

[GingerBiscuit]

Can't really blame them for not knowing that... after all, we have only about 200 earthquakes a year, less than 10% of which are strong enough to even be felt by us, let alone be potentially damaging... We aren't really a very earthquakey place.
But still... even I know you're going to be safer in your house then outside it.

[Caveat Emptor]

My brother is finishing his Ph.D. in LA. Myself and the rest of the family lives in upstate NY. Five years ago, I'm living with my parents and at about 4:30 pm on a weekday I'm lying on the couch in the guest room when I hear rattling from the heating duct.

***RUUUMBLE****

"Was that....what I think it was?!?!"

Five minutes later, the news confirmed it.

My brother has yet to report feeling any earthquake in CA.

[Rapscallion]

Doing the rounds at work.

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale hit Bradford this morning. The epicentre was in Holmewood. Casualties were seen wandering aimlessly ,one man spotted wandering was found saying "bang out of order" "mental" and "sorted".
The earthquake decimated the area causing in excess of £17.55 worth of damage. Several priceless collections of mementos from Ibiza and Corfu were damaged beyond repair. Three preserved areas of historic importance where burned out cars were destroyed, were wrecked. Many locals were woken before their giro's arrived.
One resident, Kylie Sharon Smith, a 15 year old mother of four said, "It was such a fucking shock, little Chardonnay-Destiny came running into my bedroom crying, my hands were shaking that much I could hardly skin-up".

The British Red Cross has so far managed to send 4000 crates of Sunny Delight to the area to help with the crisis. Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble and have found numerous 'Elizabeth Duke' sovereign rings, benefit books and Poundstretcher ornaments.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

This appeal hopes to raise money for food and clothing parcels for those unfortunate enough to be caught up in the disaster. Clothing is most sought after. Urgently needed are LaCoste tracksuits, white socks, Burberry caps, Beanie hats and Reebok trainers.
Food parcels are also needed. They include McCain oven chips, Aldi beans, Monster Munch and Iceland pizza. Alcohol is also in short supply, especially White Lightening Cider and Special Brew.

Cash donations are also needed.22p buys a 'signing on' biro, £2.50 buys a Jumbo Sausage Dinner, £20.00 buys a fake MOT and £16.00 buys 200 Regal from the back of Tommo's lorry.

Your help is appreciated.

Seen this under different guises before, but still amusing.

Rapscallion

[rvdammit]

Madness fans score a 4.5

[Broomjockey]

Can't really blame them for not knowing that... after all, we have only about 200 earthquakes a year,

..."only?"

<3 living in Alberta. The only natural disaster here is a blizzard.

Plus that one freaky Friday.

[lordlundar]

..."only?"

<3 living in Alberta. The only natural disaster here is a blizzard.

Plus that one freaky Friday.

You have to consider that a .5 still counts as an earthquake, yet it would barely get the water in a glass moving.

And along similar lines, Alberta is pretty tornado heavy, averaging about 100-150 tornadoes a year. The thing is, most of these are F0 or F1 and are mainly in open plains, not civic centers. most farmers mistake them for dust devils.

All depends on the point of view of a natural disaster.

[GingerBiscuit]

..."only?"

<3 living in Alberta. The only natural disaster here is a blizzard.

Plus that one freaky Friday.

Most countries have more than that in a week, they just don't notice it.

we were described on the news as 'aseisic'. So you probably do have earthquakes, you just probably don't even notice...