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Just like the shot heard around the world, the Virginia earthquake resonated around the region as the tremors and shakes were felt up and down the east coast. People all around Fredericksburg had different stories to tell as they recovered from the quake.
“I was under my desk in two seconds flat!” said Joel Gillespie, who works at NSWC Dahlgren. “Diving under my desk was what I learned in school, but I guess that’s more for a tornado.”
The base was evacuated shortly after the earthquake to ensure that there was no significant structural damage. Gillespie reported that other workers dove under desks or ran outside once the earthquake continued for more than a couple of seconds.
Local resident Ellen Stodola was at Regal Cinemas in Central Park when the tremors began.
“At first we thought the special effects from the theatre next door were just really intense,” she relates, “but then we realized it was something more when the entire theatre began to shake.” Stodola was enjoying “The Help” when the quake started, and the theatre paused the movie once the magnitude of the earthquake was realized. Many patrons requested a refund for the movie and left, while others decided to brave the chance of severe aftershocks and stay to watch the rest of the film.
The senior apartment complex, Madonna House, took extra precautions during and after the earthquake, moving residents outside for about an hour after the tremors.
“I never thought I would die in a pile of rubble,” joked one resident after being caught on her balcony during the earthquake. She made it safely outside, but was shaken up nonetheless.
Kelsey French was working at Dawning Point, a local daycare, yesterday afternoon. The children’s naps were suddenly interrupted when the ground began to shake, although two kids, a brother and sister, slept through the entire thing.
“Their parents are sure to make fun of them for that for the rest of their lives,” said French. “Two kids that can actually sleep through an earthquake.”
Another local resident, Laura Higgins, lived in California for many years, but reports she had never felt an earthquake this bad. A receptionist at a local doctor’s office, Higgins, with several other co-workers and patients herded into a bathroom on the inside of the building, while the walls shook around them.
“On second thought, I should have just ran outside,” she said. “I’ll have to remember that for next time.”
Let's just hope there's a long time until that "next time."
Carolyn Landry
8:14 am on Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I was buying a pair of shoes at Belk's! Thank goodness the shoe section is close to the door. Was signing my receipt when the earthquake occurred. The clerk headed for the door but I really wanted those shoes (and who'da thought an earthquake would happen in VA?!!) so finished signing, handed the clerk the receipt, grabbed my shoes and headed outside. I've lived in CA for 3 years and have felt tremors but this was truly a frightening event. The floor literally rolled and the noise was deafening. I wasn't finished shopping but sure wasn't going back in that mall!!!
susan m clem
10:03 am on Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I was at my house in lake anna. I was on the phone talking to my mom in culpeper she could hardly hear me from the noise coming through the phone. It sounded like a train coming through the house. Very loud and the whole house shook for 45 seconds. My dogs all ran outside immediately. We have had 5 aftershocks and each time the dogs take off outside. Pretty scary when it happened.
Crystal Donnelly
10:16 am on Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I was vauuming my car and sucked up a plastic bag by mistake. The vacuum quit abruptly and at that very moment the shaking started. I thought I had caused some sort of electrical issue until the shaking got louder and stronger and I realized, that nope, it wasn't me.
MJ
12:23 pm on Wednesday, August 24, 2011
I was at work at the FBI ACADEMY when the floor in the kitchen started to move ,I knew it was an Earth Quake,said earth quake,earth quake,we started to run out of the building,the water pipes broke there was water all over the place,it was like in a jungle all hot and muggy.
Mitch Higgins
1:49 pm on Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Being in DC I thought for a second it might be a terrorist attack. Then I felt relieved to know that it was just a 5.8 earthquake.
Nicole Moser
3:01 pm on Wednesday, August 24, 2011
At first I thought it was bombing at AP Hill or Quantico, since that usually shakes my windows, then it registered that it was an earthquake and I jumped out of my recliner and out the back door down the deck stairs. Once I was out in the backyard, I fell down in pain and remembered that I just had a bone graft on my ankle a few weeks ago and I'm not supposed to put any weight on it for six more weeks. The earthquake felt and sounded like the house was going to collapse on me that I bolted out without even thinking about my ankle and I wasn't wearing my air cast. I ended up crawling back into the house and calling the doctor. Thankfully, x-rays showed that I did no damage and the screws held my ankle in place. No more earthquakes please!