[Homestead] Shake, rattle and roll

Lynda lurine at softcom.net
Sat Apr 19 04:05:51 EDT 2008


Now Rob, you know full well that people don't move to California because 
there are soooooo many earthquakes that it is just plain frightening <g>

I've been in a few.  However, what most folks don't realise is that we have 
two types, generally speaking:  shakers (they do the most damage) and 
rollers (they literally make you sick).

According to "they say" scientists, Humboldt County is over due for another 
big one.  The one that formed the Bay supposedly is one that hits every 300 
to 310 years.

I figure we're up in the mountains high enough that we won't have to worry 
about the water rising <g>  Might have to worry a tad more in the other 
direction since there are two dormant volcanos not that far away.

Although, what a lot of folks don't seem to realise is there are whole areas 
of CA that just about never have earthquakes.  Those folks get just as 
hysterical over little shivers and shakes as folks east of the Rockies.  The 
Redding/Red Bluff/Chico area is like that.  There was a 3 point something a 
year or so ago and the folks over there talked about it for weeks!

Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob" <becida at comcast.net>


> I love this "due to go off" stuff.  "Due" like the rent is?
> Naa, it's "due" in that it ought to have happened or so the
> scientists have guessed.
> "Due" is a good word....
>
> It is hard to grasp that "due" is now or next week or next month or
> ten years or a hundred years from now. But that's the geologic "due".
>
> How many folks in Calif on this list have felt an earthquake? Go
> ahead, raise your hand... Most everyone I'd guess and I'd also guess
> that if you tell them 'the big one' is "due" they have a good idea of
> what you are talking about.
> (I will be the first to admit that I cannot imagine a REALLY 'big
> one', I saw thing on Discovery about a fault line off the west coast
> and when it goes the shaking at the far end will last over 5
> minutes... 5 minutes with the earth rolling, that's a LONG time).
>
> Now how many folks in the east have ever felt an earthquake before
> last week? Go ahead and raise your hand, if you were on the west
> coast when you felt it it doesn't count.
> Now when someone tells you that a big earthquake is "due" and neither
> you or your parents or your grandparents have ever felt one what the
> heck are you going to worry about? If you are not going to worry
> about it you are going to be hard pressed to prepare for it.
> The same thing for a tidal wave on the west coast... Not many around
> who remember the last BIG tidal wave or have relatives to pass the
> stories down.
> FWIW the massive Christmas wave actually did go around corners.
>
>
> When I was stationed in San Francisco I carried a personal camera
> with me when flying around in the helicopter, if 'the big one' came I
> wanted to be ready to take personal pictures of the TransAmerica
> Pyramid going over or the GG Bridge going down.
> I lived 300 feet from the beach in Pacifica and the San Andras fault
> was to the east of me, I could see where it ran up the hill.
> Damn few illusions but I did keep food and water just in case I made it.
> I often wondered what would happen if the Pacific plate rose 3 feet
> (or more) in relation to the North American plate, all that Pacific
> Ocean water rushing into San Francisco Bay and out into all the low
> spots while the sea level adjusted.
> What a mess IF it were to happen. Lot's of "IFs" in earthquake talk.




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