new experience

[rushthatspeaks]

Today I got to say to sovay "I'm sorry, I missed your call because of the earthquake". Although it was an interesting experience to be able to say that, I hope never to do it again.

I was outside at the time, on the phone with Ruth, and initially thought it was construction until I saw how the trees were shaking, at which point I think I lapsed into swearing for a while until it stopped and I decided it must have been construction. Then Sei texted and said it was a quake and I had a minor freakout centered around having second-guessed myself out of thinking it was. Then the phone said sovay'd called during the shaking and nothing had registered; I've heard other people had reception problems for a while too.

Nothing fell down in the apartment but I heard a lot of sirens going so was wondering about the water and gas lines; I think it ended up being emergency services getting to places they might have been needed. Went over to the library and they were Business As Usual so I decided to go and have the dinner with my father that was scheduled.

Whoa-boy was that a mistake. Note to self: in situations of this kind check the damn internet. From Reston, VA to Navy Yard via bus and Metro: three hours forty-five minutes. (Usually about one and a half.) Also there was a Nationals game so Navy Yard was a zoo. Dad had given up expecting me. Honestly, so had I. The Metro is at 15 MPH until further notice and the Orange Line announcers were talking about a sinkhole somewhere near New Carrollton. Dad had been evac'd from his work and then evac'd from his apartment building and had to stand in the street for about an hour because there wasn't anywhere to go. (I feel sorry for the people in his office-- the elevators jumped their tracks and stuck, with people in, and then the evac siren went, and for people working in a government building near downtown D.C. that... is literally nightmarish, especially with the phones not behaving.) Fortunately he drove me back after dinner or I would probably still be on the subway.

The cat has been cussing things out at random ever since. I don't blame her, really. I mean, that was basically my reaction too.

Those of you who felt it: fill out the 'I felt it' form at the U.S. Geological Survey and contribute to science! (Heard about the form via redbird; thanks.)

Comments

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Damned transport. So very glad you're all right!

Much to my regret, I didn't feel it (I was in the middle of a provoking phone call). But I have felt a quake in Cambridge, years ago: the coat hangers jangled eerily, as if Gaia herself were coming out of the closet.

Nine

[sovay]

Then the phone said sovay'd called during the shaking and nothing had registered; I've heard other people had reception problems for a while too.

My mother considers it significant that I thought to call you at that moment; her family has a history of people checking in after disasters that the caller didn't know about. I think if I had any telepathy, it's been on the fritz for years, but I'm glad you're all right and what the hell, sinkhole?

(It was imperceptible to my mother in Bedford; her friend who was at the Kenmore HVMA had to be evacuated along with everyone else in the building, which sounded terrifying. I was in Harvard Square, so I think any tremors would have been written off as traffic.)

[seishonagon.livejournal.com]

Glad you're okay, and sorry to freak you out.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I am glad I found out it was a quake before going into D.C.! Because there is no way I'd have found out at the library; when I say Business As Usual I mean it. So no need to be sorry.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Wow, I was out of touch today. As someone who lives in a place waiting for another Big Quake, I am officially amazed at how many people had never felt one before. Glad you're well.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Oh, good, the "Did you feel it?" site is less overwhelmed today. I filled it out... and then realized that I probably ought to apologize to my fellow incoming fellows at the USGS, who I suspect are going to get handed a large stack of those questionnaires (122,477 counting mine) as soon as they arrive.

[thespooniest.livejournal.com]

I can't get to the 'I felt it' form, and the URLs I'm getting when I try seem to indicate that it has been disabled. My guess is that they have enough data now.

[chomiji]

Does this link work for you?

I don't want to actually fill it out to verify its status further, because I did it yesterday, but it looks as it did when I used it.