What is possibly the strongest earthquake in Barbados' living memory just hit a short while ago. The whole island is still in a bit of a tizzy and on edge.
I was sitting at my desk when I realised I felt dizzy or lightheaded - like my head was swimming. A few seconds later I heard my workmates shrieking and realised it was not just me. To be honest, I was in a panic. I just froze and clutched my desk, hoping it would pass but the ground just kept swaying and swaying and swaying. In my mind I was thinking "oh my god, we're still moving, why are we still moving?"
I'm listening to reports coming in on Starcom Network. Patrick Ward on Starcom Network just reported that "Bridgetown is a mass of confusion" with evacuated people out in the roads and (our usually hellish) traffic stopped.
They are reporting that the tremorwas felt all along the Windward Islands - St. Lucia, Trinidad, Dominica, Martinique. I just checked the IRIS Seismic Monitor and the tremor was reportedly 7.3.
Fucking 7.3 on the Richter scale! That's major isn't it? I'm more nervous now that it's passed than I was during it, if that is possible.
Apparently a building in Ellerton St. George was damaged and there are verbal reports coming through of cracks in building in St. Lucia.
I'll add more as I hear it...
11 comments:
Know how you feel - we're getting aftershocks here in Dominica still! Fucking 7.3!!!
CL -- I was happy to get a link to your sight from Dailkos where we are following this story. I hope you remain safe. I've bookmarked your marvelous blog to check for updates -- and eventual news of happier things.
Media in the US and UK are saying it was a deep quake, little chance of a tsunami. Stay safe. Dan
Here in San Juan, Puerto Rico, some 800 miles away, the 16 story office building I'm in swayed for about 15 secs. I hope everyhting is okay in the rest of the Caribbean.
Hi Lionesse -- I came here from Instapundit. I've been in large earthquakes in California and Central America, and have felt that nervous after the quake feeling. After the loma prieta quake in 1989 I could barely sleep for days. Each aftershock made me more nervous.
Remember that the quake released most of the tension in the fault and the little aftershocks are just the ground settling back into place. It'll be okay!
-sending up prayers for your safety...
7.3 is indeed a good 'un! And it is totally normal to be more nervous afterward than during. I live on the San Andreas fault in Southern California, so I know what I'm talking about.
Stay SAFE! OH and yes, it's fucking major.
Just bookmarked you. Must be that smile...:).
You can add Puerto Rico to your list.
I was talking to my mom, who lives in PR, at about 2 this afternoon (US Central Standard Time, 2 hours behind you) when she told me she felt her bed move a couple of hours before. She immediately thought "It was a tremor", and called a friend to ask if she felt the ground shake: her friend did, too.
Just as we were ending our conversation, the news of the earthquake were all over the TV in PR.
Hope you're OK.
Yes 7.3 is a major quake. There'll be more smaller quakes for a few days. Expect a couple of bigger than 6 over the next couple of days.
I lived through a 6.5 in Imperial County, CA. in 1979, it ain't fun.
My daughter is on St. Vincent and she completely felt it also. Being a Californian, it was not horrible, however, it was definitely quite strong. Haven't talked to her yet to see about local damage.
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