But the way I was woken up late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning left me on edge for the rest of the night.
Around 1:30 AM, I woke up to what sounded like a huge explosion while the house literally seemed to jump; then everything rattled for about 3-5 seconds. Eric and I both bolted out of bed running to the kids' bedrooms.
Eric ran to Lucas' room and I ran to Alex's. Alex seemed half in a daze and said she thought something fell off her desk. I told her we would look for it in the morning and that it would be okay. I then hurried in to check on Ryder, thankfully he was still sleeping.
I checked again on Alex who was already settled down and almost asleep. Then I went in to see Lucas. Eric had been talking with him and Lucas definitely looked very startled still. Eric then went downstairs to check to see if there was any damage. I sat on Lucas bed and talked with him, rubbing his back and grateful for the darkness as I didn't want him to see the tears running down my face. Thankfully I managed to hide my emotions and fear pretty well, despite the tears, and he soon was settled enough for me to leave.
I headed downstairs where Eric was looking throughout the house, thankfully there was not any damage, even all of the pictures were still on the wall.
I went upstairs and jumped on-line to find out the report- it was a 4.4 which isn't really all that big (for California standards) but the epic center was only miles from our home- which definitely makes it much more intense.
I got back into bed and listened as my house continued to shake and groan- this time from the horrific winds we have been having since Monday, winds with huge constant gusts strong enough to make you think it is going to blow the windows out.
I finally did manage to get back to sleep about a hour later and am really hoping not to repeat that night again anytime soon. I have lived in California for over 5 years now but I don't know if I will ever live her long enough to not get shook up from an earthquake.
Have you ever experienced an earthquake?
This is so scary. Glad you guys are ok, though. Surprisingly, I've experienced a very minor earthquake. (I know. I live in the mountains of NC. It's not like we live in the heart of earthquake-land.) It was several years ago and I lived in an apartment at the time. I was in bed, reading and leaning against the wall. I thought I'd felt the walls shaking, but as quickly as I had realized that, it was over. (I learned the next day that we were affected by a quake that had happened further out in western NC.) It was pretty surreal.
ReplyDeleteYes surreal is definitely a great way to describe it.
DeleteOddly enough, we experienced a small one here in NC about 2 years ago. A very weird feeling. Glad everyone is OK.
ReplyDeleteIt is a weird feeling huh? Definitely does not seem right to have the ground shaking
Deletehere in Canada, we never really get them but in the last couple of years we do have these little ones but enough to cause some damage...i missed most of them, didn't notice but others I have felt...def not a thing I like to experience!
ReplyDeleteYes, I have missed so many myself, sometimes even in the same room with my husband who felt them, those kind while still unnerving a bit are bearable. I just worry that one of these days we will get the big one everyone says we are overdue for
DeleteYikes... I think that I'll take the Michigan winter over the California earthquakes. That is just too scary for me...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you're all fine though.
Yea, at the moment I think Iw our have picked cold over that too
DeleteI guess that I really am a SoCal girl because it doesn't bother me as long as everyone I love is safe and sound afterwards. :)
ReplyDeleteYea, I grew up in the midwest and we had tornados, even one that took out our town when I was in 4th grade; but even with that storms and bad weather don’t scare me as I am used to them and like you said as long as everyone is okay… so I guess it is what you know and are used to
DeleteI experienced a few small ones when I was visiting a friend in California a few years ago, but the one that I remember the most actually happened where I grew up in Wyoming. I was at school and I still remember the teacher shouting at us to climb under our desks. So scary! I'm glad you were all ok and there was no damage, especially being so close to the epicenter!
ReplyDeleteYes in the moment it is definitely scary
DeleteYou guys aren't allowed to be in a big one, okay! Against the rules. ;) Love you and so glad it didn't cause damage or injuries!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds good to me- definitely don't want to experience that
DeleteAhhh, earthquakes are no fun. :( We don't get them often here, but in the past few years we've had at least two good rattlers that really scared me. Like, run to stand in a doorframe just in case earthquakes. Glad you guys were all OK and that it didn't cause major damage!
ReplyDeleteYea, every time I have been ready to get in the door frame by the time I get there they are usually over.
DeleteI couldn't believe this when I read it on your facebook post. So glad that everyone is ok!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It definitely was more scary than anything else thankfully
DeleteThat sounds scary! There is a huge fault line on the Eastern side of Missouri that the last time it went off it rattled bells in NYC... but I've never experienced a quake. One of my friends was in California when one went off and she said she was rattled all over her bed.
ReplyDeleteYea we are unfortunately on the wrong side of the San Adreas fault (as it pretty much all of southern California, so really hoping there isn’t the big one any time soon
DeleteSO scary!! I have been in one so far. I was in the middle of safeway, where everything started falling off the shelves, and there was nowhere to really take cover. Luckily it wasn't bad, and it ended quickly, but boy was it scary!
ReplyDeleteOh that would be scary in the middle of rows of food like that
DeleteEmmy that is crazy! Glad it turned out fine, but WHOAH!?!
ReplyDelete~sara
Yes! I was glad it turned out okay too
DeleteOh my gosh! I am so glad that everyone is okay. That is so scary! I am not a fan of earthquakes at all. I would have had one heck of a time getting back to sleep that night.
ReplyDeleteYea, it definitely took me a while after this one. The next night we had another, almost 24 hours later, but this was was only a 3.2 and barely woke me up and made me think, was that an earthquake? Was able to get right back to sleep after that little one, but not the one this night
DeleteYikes! I'm glad everyone was okay! I've only experienced one earthquake, and like you, I was half-asleep for it. But I remember waking up feeling the bed shaking. Whole thing lasted maybe 5 seconds - and I certainly don't remember anything that sounded like an explosion. In fact, I thought it was pretty cool - but that's probably because I was in TN where we don't get them often and never as damaging as CA earthquakes.
ReplyDeleteYea, the ones during the day, especially just the little shakers while they make my heart race I kind of find cool too… I just did not like being woken up like this at all
DeleteWow! That does sound like a scary way to wake up! I've never felt an earthquake before (over here on the coast of Georgia) but I've heard that nearby South Carolina has had a couple since I've been here.
ReplyDeleteYea it really is quite the thing to feel one- not something you easily forget
DeleteInsane!!!! We experienced some after shocks when Seattle was hit with an earthquake - they were so mild we didn't even know what they were, I just thought I was coming down with something because my stomach and head were feeling weird - it wasn't long after that the news reported an Earthquake in the Seattle area - I live on the East side of the Cascade mountains and we still felt the aftershocks.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what an actual Earthquake would feel like, how scary!
Yea and this one really wasn't all that big too-- I am definitely scared of a really big one.
DeleteI'm glad everyone is okay.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have experienced an earthquake. It was the weirdest feeling ever. I thought our house was going to split apart. And we had just watched a ghost show so I thought we had an angry poltergeist at first...
Oh glad it wasn’t an angry poltergeist, that definitely would have been worse than an earthquake
DeleteWe had one in 2008. It happened in the middle of the night and at first we didn't know what was actually happening. First I thought the box fan was going crazy, but then I realized the bed was shaking. It wasn't until the next morning when I called my mom that I figured out what had happened. We didn't have any damage but it was still crazy. People were still feeling aftershocks too that day but I never could feel them.
ReplyDeleteYes, it really is pretty crazy. Most I have experienced have been smaller where you wonder what is going on sort of feeling, but I had no doubt with this one
DeleteI've felt a tremor here but nothing major. I do have a fear of earthquakes happening, though. We live in Kentucky and there are fault lines everywhere so rally one could happen at any time. I can see where being woken up by something like that would make it very hard to get back to sleep. YIKES!
ReplyDeleteGlad everyone was ok!
I'm a fellow SITStah Tribe-mate. It's nice to meet you!
Yes I grew up in the midwest and though we never had any earthquakes there was definitely warnings that we ould as there are lots of fault lines there too.
DeleteSo nice to meet you too!
So scary! I would have thought someone had broken in the house !
ReplyDeleteNow that would be something very scary if that what was actually happening
DeleteThat's scary! I'm glad you're okay! I've been in CA for a total of 3 years (not all in a row) and have yet to have this experience. I'm sure it will happen sooner or later, but I'm not looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteYea, I grew up in the midwest and we had storms and tornados but earthquakes just are unnerving to me
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