09-12-2007, 05:26 AM | #1 (permalink) |
Getting it.
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
|
Earthquake in Indonesia - 7.9
So just a couple of hours ago, I was sitting my office on the 23rd floor and the whole building started to sway. It was swaying enough to make it difficult to walk and enough to hear the windows creaking in their seams.
It turns out that there was a very large earthquake about 400 km away on the south side of the Island of Sumatra. Early news reports indicate that it was about 7.9 on the Richter Scale and that a number of buildings have collapsed. A tsunami warning had been issued but has since been called off, as the danger period for a tsunami has passed. Apparently Indonesia has gone from one earthquake a year to more recently, one a month... make you wonder what's happening in the subduction zone off the coast. Is something bigger coming?
__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke |
09-12-2007, 05:58 AM | #2 (permalink) |
Asshole
Administrator
Location: Chicago
|
Well for us, the good news is that you're ok.
I read some other stories that make it sound like there's not much damage, but with this scale of quake, I find that hard to believe unless the epicenter was extremely rural. The subduction zone there has been active for centuries. Remember that one of the most powerful volcanos/earthquakes ever happened when Krakatoa happened about 100 years ago.
__________________
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo |
09-12-2007, 06:05 AM | #3 (permalink) |
Falling Angel
Location: L.A. L.A. land
|
Wow Char, I'm glad you're alright!
__________________
"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come." - Matt Groening My goal? To fulfill my potential. |
09-12-2007, 07:11 AM | #4 (permalink) |
Kick Ass Kunoichi
Location: Oregon
|
Earthquakes are scary, no doubt about it. It's been a number of years since our last earthquake (the Nisqually quake of 2001) in the PacNW, but the Nisqually quake opened everyone's eyes to the fact that--gasp! We do get earthquakes here!
I'm glad to hear you're okay. Does your family know what to do in case of an earthquake? Do you have an emergency plan and a meeting place? These are important things to be prepared for, especially if you live in an area where they're common.
__________________
If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
09-12-2007, 08:59 AM | #5 (permalink) |
Addict
Location: Somewhere... Across the sea...
|
Hey Charlatan, Glad you're OK. I think we (in Asia) are still getting some fallout from the big one three years ago. I'll not be surprised if we get a little more action here as things settle out. Stay safe!
__________________
The difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference. "God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." DEVO |
09-12-2007, 09:33 AM | #6 (permalink) |
Evil Priest: The Devil Made Me Do It!
Location: Southern England
|
Forgive my woefully geography - was the effect felt as far away as Penang? I cannot find much about it on the UK news services, and have friends and business colleagues there.
Glad to hear you're safe.
__________________
╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air, And deep beneath the rolling waves, In labyrinths of Coral Caves, The Echo of a distant time Comes willowing across the sand; And everthing is Green and Submarine ╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝ |
09-12-2007, 09:43 AM | #7 (permalink) |
Upright
|
Glad you're safe. Earthquakes can be very devastating.
__________________
I'm currently trying a 10 day body detox and I feel great. |
09-12-2007, 02:34 PM | #9 (permalink) |
Getting it.
Super Moderator
Location: Lion City
|
Thanks everyone. I don't think I was in any real danger as we are far enough away from the centre of this and all of the other earthquakes in the region. The subduction zone is about 400km away at the closest. While I received a good ride at the office, mostly because of the physics of being on the 23rd story of a 40 story building, people on the ground barely felt anything.
Apparently rescue crews are set to head out from Jakarta as soon as it's daylight (in about 30 minutes from now at 7 am). Early reports indicate that several buildings have collapsed and the death count is around eight so far. Given the size of the quake I expect it will go up considerably once daylight allows them to see what has happened.
__________________
"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke |
Tags |
earthquake, indonesia |
|
|