Shake, Rattle and roll.....

[mxslick]

At 11;42 am local time, Southern California was hit with a 5.4 (est.) magnitude earthquake. Epicenter was near the city of Chino Hills. Not a whole lot of damage reported so far, there were some power outages in the Chino Hills and Pomona areas.

Some safety reminders for those in earthquake prone areas:

• Do not approach downed power lines;
• If you leave a building during an earthquake, stay clear of powerlines, glass facades and any brick buildings;
• Do NOT turn off your gas unless there is a leak or you smell gas;
• Do NOT call 911 unless there is a life-threatening situation;
• If in your car, stay in it, but don't park near buildings or under an overpass or on a bridge, and be aware of possible debris or road damage;
• And most importantly, have a kit ready to sustain yourself and family/pets for at least three days. Food, water, medicines, etc.

It is a wake-up call for a lot of people, myself included. I do not have adequate water stored for this kind of situation, and the sound equipment rack (350lbs.) in my living room is not properly braced, I was lucky it didn't fall over.

Aftershocks are continuing as I post this...

Edited to add: LOCAL NEWS LINK

 

[chris kennedy]

I'm glad everyone is OK.

Why would this be a problem?

Do NOT turn off your gas unless there is a leak or you smell gas;

 

[mxslick]

Hi Chris:

It was explained to me by the local Gas Company that two problems arise, one is that most people either don't know how to shut off their gas or damage the meter/valve in the process...

and that it creates a slew of service calls to relight pilot lights unnecessarily.

But they do advise anyone, even if they don't smell gas, to call in for an inspection if they suspect any leaks or damage.

By the same token, the poco advises people to shut off their main in case of power outages from earthquakes. Probably good advise, as the quakes do cause a lot of flashovers and surges on the lines.

 

[iwire]

I was under the impression that seismic gas valves where highly recommended.

http://gasvalvedoctor.com/

It kind of sounds like the gas company is substituting their convenience and costs for public safety.

I am very glad it appears to be limited damage.

 

[chris kennedy]

Hi Chris:

It was explained to me by the local Gas Company that two problems arise, one is that most people either don't know how to shut off their gas or damage the meter/valve in the process...

and that it creates a slew of service calls to relight pilot lights unnecessarily.

But they do advise anyone, even if they don't smell gas, to call in for an inspection if they suspect any leaks or damage.

By the same token, the poco advises people to shut off their main in case of power outages from earthquakes. Probably good advise, as the quakes do cause a lot of flashovers and surges on the lines.

Interesting, thank you. When I first read that I was thinking it may be a pressure issue.

Edit: BTW, coverage is running on the news here every 15 mins.

 

[iwire]

http://www.preparedness.info/npi/disprep/seismicshutoffvalves.htm

 

[cowboyjwc]

I was under the impression that seismic gas valves where highly recommended.

http://gasvalvedoctor.com/

It kind of sounds like the gas company is substituting their convenience and costs for public safety.

I am very glad it appears to be limited damage.

The valves are expensive and can only be reset by the gas company. The problem with this is they found out that some times a large truck going by can shut off your gas.

I didn't even feel it. I was up on a sandstone mountain at the time so that could have been why, but everyone is telling me about it.

 

[mxslick]

I was under the impression that seismic gas valves where highly recommended.

http://gasvalvedoctor.com/

It kind of sounds like the gas company is substituting their convenience and costs for public safety.

I am very glad it appears to be limited damage.

(Bold added by me)

I think you're right. I did a check of my stove and water heater right after today's quake, and found no leaks.

I would prefer to have the seismic valve and be a lot safer, it doesn't take that much effort to relight the water heater.

 

[chris kennedy]

it doesn't take that much effort to relight the water heater.

Your not the average home owner.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Two of our guys are at a seminar in Chino Hills today:smile: but they called and are ok.

My mom just called me from Clayton, New Mexico to ask if I was ok and like I said I didn't feel a thing. Most people only accuse me of being numb from the neck up.:grin:

Oh and I didn't lie, but I did give you bad information. The gas company won't install them on their side at all, you have to install it on the customer side. They cost about $150 and about $300-$400 to install.

When the gas company would put them in you might only need one on a condo or apartment building, now you need one for each unit.

 

[rbalex]

I work in Orange, about 12 miles from the epicenter (as the crow flies) - I didn't feel a thing.

 

[mxslick]

I work in Orange, about 12 miles from the epicenter (as the crow flies) - I didn't feel a thing.

That's always one of the strange things about earthquakes..depending on location, and the type of soil/substrata, you may feel nothing, mild shaking or severe motion...all from the same quake.

Your not the average home owner.

LOL Yeah, I rent an apartment. But since a lot of average HO's are as bright as a box of rocks.....

Two of our guys are at a seminar in Chino Hills today but they called and are ok.

Glad to hear they're ok.

I called my mom in Vegas, since some reports said it was felt out there, she didn't feel it, but later said a few of her friends in other areas did...

 

[LarryFine]

I have only experienced one quake, a couple of years ago. The epicenter was around 30 miles away, and it was not a big one, but it was such an incredible experience. I went through a series of sensations.

It started out sounding exactly like a military helicopter at first, when you hear only the blades and not the engine, then the frequency slowly dropped, and I was then sure it was a large truck outside.

It kept dropping in frequency, and then I began hearing the house itself start to make noise, rattling and squeaking slightly, and I began feeling it as well as hearing it, it went sub-sonic and then faded away.

Wow!

 

[Nick]

I work a mile or so from the 57/60 interchange where at least one report I heard said it was centered. I have lived here all my life and this one was the strongest I have ever felt. The second floor of the office was a mess. What seemed strange to me was when it was over the ground felt like it was swaying for quite a while. It felt like we were on a body of water. Could have been nothing. They say the Northridge quake in '94 was 1000 times stronger. Maybey it didn't feel like it because it I was about 60 miles from that one.

 

[cowboyjwc]

I work a mile or so from the 57/60 interchange where at least one report I heard said it was centered. I have lived here all my life and this one was the strongest I have ever felt. The second floor of the office was a mess. What seemed strange to me was when it was over the ground felt like it was swaying for quite a while. It felt like we were on a body of water. Could have been nothing. They say the Northridge quake in '94 was 1000 times stronger. Maybey it didn't feel like it because it I was about 60 miles from that one.

Now that one, I was a couple of mile from the epicenter and it felt like a bomb went off and then it seemed like it was never going to stop shaking even though it only lasted 10-20 seconds. I swear that I thought either a truck just came through my living room or my water heater exploded.

Made a lot of money on that one, 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for at least a month. After shocks for at least a month. The thing that made it nerve racking after awhile is that if you were in the right place you knew an after shock was coming. My windows at home would start "ticking" and then BANG!.