Real Earthquake

Yesterday, while at the park for a play date for our co-op group. We had the unusual sensation (for here) of an earthquake. I’ve lived here for 5 years and don’t recall feeling any during that time.

The mom’s were sitting at what I call the adult table. I don’t let my kids sit at this table, so we mom’s can actually chat. Why is it that kids seem to want to be all over you when you have the opportunity to talk to other adults? But I digress….We felt a strong rumble and I swear it sounded a bit like the sound of a train going by as well, kind of a deep rumbling sound resonating from the earth.

The rumble got more and the table we were sitting was moving plus the ground was moving. It seemed kind of like a fluid motion from side to side that felt like the earth could open up. Rather unnerving. I felt all of that through my feet on the ground as well as the table moving and looking over to see the cars in the parking lot swaying as well. Not to sound overly dramatic, but that is how I describe it using those pesky describing words I am always trying to get Snowflake to use in her writing. It was one of those things where initially you think there is a big truck or train going by, but then you realize it is too long and it gaining in intensity from that. We all looked at each other and said I think that’s an earthquake(probably with a bit more distress in our voices than that). We were at a very shaded park, so the kids were on the play equipment under all those trees(swaying for sure). We got them all and got out to the parking lot.

My kids were off away from me. Pumpkin was playing on the playground equipment and on a scooter. In case this sounds bad, she was on her scooter on a ramp (it is a handicap accessible park). I tried to get her to come over, she was the last as she was trying to get the scooter as well. Snowflake was in the bathroom, by herself. The worse possible place for Snowflake my already anxious kid to be. I think we may have so new therapy bills for this one. I ran to get Snowflake knowing that one of the other mom’s would look out for Pumpkin(yes I have mother guilt for that, and yet I had to make a choice at that moment). I had to get to my anxious kid and try to reassure her.

Pumpkin later told me that it was weird and super scary. She said she was on her scooter and the scooter was moving around and the play equipment was going in circles. There is a 4 year old’s description of the earthquake. She was about to cry when I got to her. Both girls were pretty shaken up.

Snowflake was in the bathroom and said the whole building was shaking and that the stall doors were shaking and that it was terrifying. She has gone to therapy in the past for anxiety and we have a scale to know where she is at. She told me she was at her max number and that it was worse than any fear she had ever had that we had gone to therapy for. Here’s hoping for no aftershocks! OR lots of money for the child psychologist again.

A few of us mom’s have smartphones so we were quickly able to see the size and location of the earthquake. I guess a big portion of the East coast felt it. I texted my husband that we had just had a fairly significant earthquake. He called me immediately(before the phone lines shut down). He was working 3.5 hours away from our city that day. He had felt it all the way up there as well! The building he was in was swaying. Although, initially no one in the building thought it was an earthquake. The building was still under construction. The office he was in was the only completed space in the building. They all thought it was construction until I texted him and told him about the earthquake. Then he realized it wasn’t construction. Very shortly after that, I got a call from my sister-in-law. She lives across the country from us. She had heard about the quake on npr and called to see what it felt like.

I decided it was best to head home as I knew that Snowflake wouldn’t be able to calm down there. So, we headed home. Thankfully nothing was damaged or even noticeably out of place at our home. The first thing the girls did was to check on their Build-A-Bears. Apparently, their Build-A-Bears were quite scared but they are also well versed in earthquake preparedness because I am told that they were under the beds and that they had gone there during the earthquake to stay safe. You go Build-A-Bears! My girls are too funny with the things they think of!

There you have a first hand account of the earthquake, which I have now read is either the largest or tied for the largest earthquake in Virginia history.

Now we need to get ready for the Hurricane that might hit this weekend.

Enjoy your day…hope there is no shaking for you (or me)today.

Here is what happened in the weeks following this post.