Earthquake in Northern California

[A Guy]

I was awoken by a significant earthquake at 3:20AM this morning. It was a pretty good rolling, then a few strong jolts, maybe 15 seconds. No damage here, just an exciting ride. But based on the strength, and not knowing where the epicenter was, it occurred to me it could be a bad quake somewhere if the epicenter was farther away from me.

Got up and started googling and it was a 6.0 near American Canyon, which is about 6 miles south of Napa. My Mom lives in Napa...oh boy. Tried her number and busy signal. As I watched the news, early reports said a fire in a mobile home park in Napa. My Mom lives in a mobile home park in Napa...oh boy. Looking online I saw some news stories about the fire, and the street name. It was my Moms street!

Watched the news switching stations trying to get a better idea where on the street as they kept saying 3 or 4 homes destroyed by fire. I called my oldest brother who lives closer up there and woke him up. he had felt the quake of course, but had gone back to sleep. He said he was going to watch the news. He called me about an hour later and said he was going to try and drive to my Moms and see what was up.

The news was now showing the area, and the burned up homes, but weren't panning around much. It looked like at the end of her street, 1/2 a block away from her place, but I couldn't be sure. They spoke to a neighbor who was mentioning the occupants of 2 of the homes, and I knew it wasn't my Moms. Then they were saying at least 12 homes somewhat damaged by the fire, and some off their foundations, etc.

My Mom has just sold her place, she will be moving up closer to my oldest brother when her new place is ready. I just got a call from my brother, he is there, my Mom is OK, the fire was indeed where I thought it was, so no fire damage to her place. But it was only one home away from the fire. The one next to hers is the one they show with melted sides! It's far right in this screen shot.

From the outside, it looks like no structural damage. But looking in the windows, he says every drawer and cabinet is open, and broken stuff all over the floor.

The fire department won't be letting anyone back in to the places until everything can be checked out. She'll be going home with my brother as soon as they get an update from the authorities.

So...PHEW! Looks like she'll lose some "things", but her sale will likely go through, and she'll have less to move Her park will be a mess for quite some time, one of her best friends home is completely off it's foundation. But she and her little dog are OK, but...no pun intended...shaken up.

I'm quite relieved, it could have been much, much worse. The water mains broke, so no water for the firefighters. Watch the video and my Moms place is like 5 or 6 houses away from this.

Mobile homes gutted by fire after Napa earthquake | News - KCRA Home

As I say, she's OK, he house looks structurally OK, but she'll have a lot of broken things inside. I'll probably talk to her later once she's at my brothers place.

A Guy

 

[DocBrown]

Bill, I am glad your Mom is safe, and other family members.

I have been watching some of the news coverage on Fox News.

I got woke up here in Arizona about 3:20 also. But I attributed it to my stepson coming home at that time after a night out with his friends. Maybe it was the earthquake slamming the door behind him when he came in the house.

 

[derekimo]

Glad your mom is OK Bill, there does seem to be quite a bit of damage and more being found by the minute.

I'm closer to it than you are and I didn't feel anything, I do see a few cracks in the sheetrock I don't think were there before.

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[Joan Archer]

Glad to hear your Mum is OK Bill, my sons girlfriend earlier today put just one word on Facebook "Earthquake" one of her friends asked where she was and she said "San Fran" she's an Air Hostess with British Airways, not sure if my son is with her on this trip.

Let us know how things go with your Mum Bill.

 

[Dude]

Good to hear mom is okay Bill.

 

[A Guy]

Surprised you didn't feel it Derek, but then, different faults, etc. It was a real good jolt. Spoke to my brother a few minutes ago. My Mom will stay with him until they give the OK to go back. My Moms place isn't a "mobile home", but rather a prefab house on a foundation, like a normal home. Only 5 or 6 years old, so up to code no doubt. They were allowed back in and spent a couple of hours getting most stuff cleaned up. The stove and fridge had even moved! She lost some glass stuff, but nothing major. She also had some stuff boxed up already.

Her best friend in the complex, their mobile home was older, just jacked up on blocks so to speak, it's a total loss. She really dodged one, 2 houses away homes burned to the ground, gas leaks. She'll probably be back home in a day or two. My brother had a good look around, and he couldn't even find any cracks in the plaster, etc.

Heck of a way to wake up huh? I'll still take California and the occasional quake, it's a great place to live, albeit expensive!

Thanks for the kind words everyone. A Guy

 

[Borg 386]

Glad to hear your Mom is OK.

Heck of a way to wake up huh? I'll still take California and the occasional quake, it's a great place to live, albeit expensive!

That's why they call it "The shake & bake state."

 

[A Guy]

I had a friend in (North or South) Carolina, can't remember which. Couldn't understand how we "live with all those earthquakes". I said that other then the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, I never even lost power in any quake. Where he lives they have a Hurricane Season. They have to name them, and sometimes work back through the alphabet there are so many. That is EVERY YEAR! And he doesn't know how we live with all those earthquakes.

Mind you, as witnesses today, you can be hit hard by these quakes. And yes, the Big One is yet to come. But I'll take the ride, and see what happens

A Guy

 

[derekimo]

Surprised you didn't feel it Derek, but then, different faults, etc. It was a real good jolt.

Yeah, not to lighten the seriousness of the damage but I like the occasional good jolt.

 

[A Guy]

I tell people that I like to stay still and get the whole ride, as I did this time. Only the Loma Prieta earthquake said, RUN AWAY! That made me wonder if it would stop. I'm sure my Mom would say this was worse. My brother said it was the strongest he ever felt. I imagine the big one will start like that, then really let loose and keep on going. Hoping that is after my lifetime :shock:

A Guy

 

[King Arthur]

Glad to hear nothing particularly bad had happened A Guy.

I'm down in the Los Angeles area so I didn't feel anything because of the distance and such.

There's a USGS report of the earthquake for those interested for more information regarding the quake, has the specific details like the magnitude, epicenter and time.
M6.0 - 6km NW of American Canyon, California 2014-08-24 10:20:44 UTC