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7.7 earthquake off of the Queen Charlotte islands.


Happiness

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/10/27/bc-quake-reported.html

So was just getting ready to go to the firemans halloween dance and then this happened. This was the second largest quake in our history, the last largest one was 8.1 in the 40's.

I just finished doing full make up (orange face with a black bat in the middle) and then I thought wow the hail is hitting my window pretty hard. So you have an idea of where I was in my house, I was upstairs where there are vaulted ceilings 16 ft high. I saw one of my plants start to shake and then holey shit the whole house was swaying and shaking. I was hard enough to empty 1/3 of my 105 gallon aquarium on the floor (poor fish). I ran down stairs to be with my husband as he was grabbing his 60 inch tv so it didn't fall (men and their tv's).

Once it was done the pager went off and dispatch asking if everyone was okay. At that time I was thinking I think so but I haven't gone anywhere. A few minutes went by and it was decided that we are leaving town as a tsunami warning is on and we have an hr before it hits. I called dispatch and said we are leaving (and the funny part) I said I was going to go and get the satalitte phone from the station, he said "Do you think you could take the whole ambulance with you" I just didn't think about that lol. Went and grabbed a few pts from the hospital (in full makeup) and off to garbage hill. Stayed there for a few hrs and were able to go home about 12:30 am. Got everything settled at the station and went to have a glass of vino. The night was full of aftershocks big enough to wake me up but nothing like that big one.

Well one thing for sure is that I am sure happy I have a house today to be able to make a nice breakfast for the hubby. Remember this you just never know when the big one is going to hit.............

happy

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This actually angered me. Living in WA State (south of Bellingham no less) we didn't feel the quake. However we are in close proximity to not only the quake but also any Tsunami's that form. Did we receive any warning or notification at all? Nope we did not.

All the news networks were focusing on the East Coast and Sandy. While I agree that Sandy is a potentially destructive storm, and people here have family and friends over there, something that has a direct impact to us is more important than a storm 3000 miles away.

As it turned out we were hit with a Tsunami and the networks never bothered to issue a warning. It wasn't until 9:55 PM when the first network mentioned the quake and the Tsunami. The initial quake struck BC at 8:04 PM according to the USGS.

Per the USGS the Tsunami that struck us was only 2.4 inches in height so it was really a non event. The system failed us though and the networks failed us. Its lucky that it wasn't a destructive one. I know the networks have been receiving nastygrams all day. I know several people that have sent complaints to them.

I am glad that noone was injured in the quake or its aftershocks.

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So I thought I could get a few laughs for you guys by sharing this one and only pic of our evacuation. I know there was a topic on halloween masks while on shift, I dont recommend it :)

post-6735-0-27149400-1351615927_thumb.jp

Edited by Happiness
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  • 2 months later...

So it has been a few days of not a lot of sleep and few after shocks. I will say this though the town evacuated much smoother this time with no bottle necks and less confusion. But of course there are those that have accidents. Just after the shake a person slipped and tore every tendon in their knee, she was a scoop and go to the evacuation site without any pain relief, she never even said ouch. Then a head on trying to get out of town thank god it was minor and the patrolling ff brought the patient to us as we were already out of town. Now the sucky thing of it all is that if a wave would have been generated we would've all been gone as it would have hit here in about 45 minutes from he time of the first earth wiggle. The good thing is that happiness is still here to lurk and stalk another day ..........

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Hi, ah I think you guys are getting a little off track of what's important here. Can we focus for a minute? So, the television wasn't hurt was it? Your husband saved it from getting hurt right? And he stayed with it during the aftershocks I'm sure, yea, of course he did, what am I thinking....your husbands a good man!!

Seriously though, that Cascadia fault just off the coast of Washington is a scary thing. They say it's a couple of hundred years overdue. Coastal towns would only have something like 20 minutes between earthquake and tsunami. Makes me not want to go clamming.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yes the husband saved the TV both times lol as for being a good man well thats up for debate :)

The tsunami would have hit us in about 18 minutes they say but they (who ever they are) we do not create the right earthquakes here, but could get a wave if the quake is from alaska or Japan. So there for we would have time. But with that being said the problem here is flooding so either way I guess.

the first one last over a minute and this one was only about 30 seconds so on the bright side it was shorter :_)

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