By Alicia Lanier, REALTOR
Did you feel that one? Me, too!
I had just finished watching Obama and Edwards methodically beat up on Hillary for over an hour in the Democratic presidential candidate debate … and observed that Senator Clinton’s facial expressions gradually evolved from her usual leading-the-polls friendly smile (aren’t you guys nice!) to a more antagonistic frown (this isn’t fun anymore!)
Then, Shake-Shake-Shake!! It was my second earthquake, the first being a teeny little tremor three or four years ago that lasted just a second or two. But this shake was long enough for me to head for the door jamb in the hallway. Actually it would have been just as close to go outside through the front door – and probably safer - but, being a relative newbie to earthquakes, I wasn’t thinking all that clearly. I stood there in the doorway, with the floor continuing to feel unsettled beneath me, long enough to wonder if this might be The Big One. And then to worry that the epicenter might have been near my daughter and her family.
Finally, after a very long 30 seconds, the shaking was over. I first grabbed my land-line phone and heard a busy signal … a busy signal? Then I grabbed my cell phone and headed out the front door. I wasn’t alone … there were other neighbors doing the same, calling family to make sure they were safe. However, I had cell reception, but my repeated attempts to call my daughter wouldn’t go through.
Finally, after chatting with the neighbors (You, okay? Yeah, How about you?) I went back inside to see whether the TV reporters were on this story. Not yet. So I checked my land-line again and realized I had a normal dial tone. Called The Daughter in Alameda. They had felt it, too, but were okay. She had heard that this quake was centered in Alum Rock … and was a 5.6 quake.
By then, the scrolls on my TV screen were verifying that this quake was not as bad as I’d feared. It was the most powerful earth quake in the San Jose-San Francisco Bay Area since the devastating 6.9 Loma Prieta quake in October, 1989. Calls on my cell phone still weren’t going through … what was that about? I consider my emergency stash to include flashlight & batteries, candles & matches, water & canned tuna, and, yes, my cell phone!
I am a native of Tornado Alley and should be used to Mother Nature’s wrathful little tantrums that sometimes take shape as thunder and lightning and whirling wind. But, hey, back in Texas we actually were warned when tornadoes were headed our way, even alerted with blasting sirens atop the neighborhood fire station. Folks in hurricane-prone cities and towns get even more advance notice. But these earthquakes … oh my, they are sneaky little shakers with no early warning to most of us.
TIP: This one may have been just a wake-up call for all of us in earthquake country. I highly recommend you go to the American Red Cross website and read their excellent guide on earthquake preparedness for your famly and home.
I am glad that this time we avoided the big one and I believe we’ll also survive the aftershocks … 30 small aftershocks at last count. But, what do you think … will Hillary continue to survive her shaking by all her competitors – and the resulting aftershocks?
Alicia Lanier is a REALTOR who lives in Campbell and is a member of the Coldwell Banker Diamond Society – Top 8% of Agents Internationally www.AliciaLanier.com 408-491-1634
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