<p>My son in Philly felt it…we found out when he told FB before us. haha But get this, my sister and her husband were on the 6th floor of a hospital and felt it in…Wisconsin!! Their 11 year old son asked “Dad why is your bed shaking” as they all realized at the same time they were being shaken. My sister immediately got on a computer to see if there had been an earthquake nearby. She was very surprised when she read where it actually was.</p>
<p>Nightly news says quakes that size happen once a year in California once a century in the Northeast. DS just texted that his office building in Boston was swaying. His office is on the fifth floor. No biggie for him as he grew up in CA and has been in several quakes but not such a minor deal for some of the New Englanders in his office…</p>
<p>I felt it here in maryland, it shook the house pretty strongly. A few pictures fell down and broke, I hit the floor because I thought the windows were breaking</p>
<p>felt it in NJ. no damage, but some things started shaking</p>
<p>S was in the men’s room in his office in Baltimore–felt a little, uh, exposed. Everyone raced out of the building, but apart from a few items falling off shelves, there was no damage. Hope Irene blows away from the mid-Atlantic states–hardly seems fair to have an earthquake and hurricane in the same week!</p>
<p>A major bridge has been closed in our city north of Philly. Already existing cracks were worsened by the quake. Maybe now they’ll find funding to fix it?</p>
<p>I was sitting on myPhiladelphia area deck reading after lunch on a perfect summer day-I felt something pushing up my chair-got up and peeked under the chair-thought it was a little animal or something. Then I noticed the chair kept moving, as did the deck and the up and down and the ground rolled sideways.
In spite of having lived in CA, and experienced earthquakes it didn’t click until my d called me from New York and asked how I liked the earthquake.</p>
<p>I felt it on the 16th Floor of my office building on 31st St right near Penn Station. The building seemed to shudder which would be how I would best describe it. I had no idea it was an earthquake, assumed it was from construction demolition of some sort-although I did experience some dizziness and queasiness. The building has 18 Floors… so I assume my equilibrium was affected. I was busy on the phone and just kept on, although some people did leave and run/walk down. Building PA came on and announcement that there had been an earthquake, building was structurally sound and on reason to evacuate. D1 was on lunch break and sitting on a bench, she works on the campus at Penn and initially thought it was from construction-her building was evacuated by Penn Security until deemed safe. DH was playing golf on LI and had just finished, felt nothing and was totally unaware. Cell phones did not work for about 30 minutes.</p>
<p>Did not feel it on the Cape ,but my brother felt it in Wisconsin!</p>
<p>We didn’t feel it but I think our dog did. She’s terrified of thunder, and almost at the exact time of the quake, she leaped to her feet and ran for her “safe place” (a closet). It was bright and sunny out, but I looked to see if a storm was coming because of her reaction. Later, I found out about the quake that occurred almost exactly at the same time.</p>
<p>20th Floor in lower Manhattan and it scared the bejeezus out of some of us. My chair and computer monitor sort of bounced and everyone on my side of the building felt the vibrations, which occurred about twice over a 60 second span. Our office phones didn’t work for about ten minutes.</p>
<p>Tried to reach familly in NOVA. Cell phone network overwhelmed for awhile. Relatives say their apartment tower in NOVA shook pretty good and at least one door burst open. No real damage, just shaken nerves.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I heard on the news that some of the mounted police in the Capitol said that about 5 minutes before the quake, their horses started getting very antsy and uneasy. It’s amazing how they can sense these things.</p>
<p>The drawers in my kitchen came open, trophies fell off shelves and the water spilled out of the fish’s bowl. Various things strewn about. My youngest child has been positively WILD the past day and a half. I wonder if he had some instinct about it? Probably not but at least it would be some excuse for his manic behavior lately!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Ha! Imagine how the Japanese felt when the three horsemen of the apocalypse came riding in on the same day! Nevertheless, I too will be grateful if Irene decides to take a major turn east. I live on the coast of Virginia, and definitely felt the quake. I knew what it was immediately, but could hardly believe it. A four poster bed in an upstairs room conducts earthquakes extremely well, it turns out (who knew!). I had been up until well past 4:00am quilting, so was still in bed, though awake and staring at the ceiling, when it hit. It lasted about 25-30 seconds, I think. I could hear all the storm windows rattling in their cases, and glass tinkling in other parts of the house. Also, there was a rumbling sound, like an passing freight train. Other than a couple of items falling over on a shelf downstairs, everything pretty much stayed intact.</p>
<p>I couldn’t get through to anyone on either my cell (Verizon overwhelmed) or my land line (Cox Communications) for several minutes. My D works in Alexandria. She was in her 4th floor office in the Jefferson Building on the US Patent and Trade Mark Office campus in Alexandria when the shaking started. The building was soon evacuated, and she called me to tell me everyone was just standing around outside, not knowing what to do next. The Metro had stopped temporarily, and when it began running again, it would be moving at a snail’s pace. A co-worker ended up giving her a ride home. My son was on the sixth floor of a downtown Newport News building at the time, and said the shaking was quite emphatic. H, who works on a military base in Yorktown, said he was standing next to his desk, and at first, thought he was losing his balance or had become dizzy, until he noticed a tall six-drawn file cabinet in the corner, swaying back and forth. </p>
<p>Yeah, it was quite a day…</p>
<p>Regarding animals, our pup is super sensitive to thunderstorms, etc. very instinctive. We were outside and she became angsty and asked to go in right before the quake She’s been out of sorts since we took our son to college on Saturday. She went to the basement…I just assumed she was going to his music room where he keeps several guitars & amps. He plays down there as it’s soundproof and cooler. Now we feel bad for ignoring her. :o</p>
<p>…“A major bridge has been closed in our city north of Philly. Already existing cracks were worsened by the quake. Maybe now they’ll find funding to fix it?”</p>
<p>Penn Street Bridge? It was reopened tonight.</p>
<p>I was working in my home office and my file cabinets and bookcases were moving and I thought what in the world is my husband doing to the house now!! Jokingly, I thought we’re having an earthquake. I ran down the stairs to check with DH and he was asleep on the couch :eek: Then I received an email from work telling everyone to evacuate the building due to the earthquake…I was relieved, I wasn’t crazy thinking I had just experienced an earthquake.</p>
<p>Poetsheart, ah, another late night quilter!!!</p>
<p>S2 was home when the quake hit. Said the dog was outside and when S went outside to investigate the quake, she had her tail down but was not freaking as she does for changes in the barometric pressure. (We ALWAYS know when it’s going to rain with her around.) She did go straight to the basement when S2 let her in.</p>
<p>The taxes are so high in California that even the earthquakes are leaving the state.</p>
<p>transplanted Californian here. Our since departed cats were extremely sensitive to earthquakes. One would circle the room, darting from under one chair to the next. Another would hide in the closet…usually about 3 minutes prior to a quake. They knew.</p>
<p>That being said, the worst I’ve felt in the past 20 years has been a 5.2. I still remember where I was–and remember praying that we were at the epicenter, as opposed to feeling the shaking of a huge quake elsewhere. Also remember the uneasy feeling that stayed for a few days–even though I did not feel any aftershocks. Sleep was fitful for a day or two. </p>
<p>We just re-stocked our earthquake supplies last month…today was reminder for all in quake country…and hope all in the east have experienced their last quake ever.</p>
<p>Felt an aftershock at 12:46 am. </p>
<p>It made me think some kid was running downstairs in my rickety childhood home…then I realised – I live on the 1st floor of my dorm. There is no downstairs.</p>