[Sca-cooks] OT:Earthquakes, was Weather in Oertha

[Huette von Ahrens]

--- Terry Decker <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net> wrote:


> > Actually the biggest earthquake of all in the Continental US
> > is the Prince William Quake in Alaska in 1964, with the
> > magnitude of 9.20.
> >
> 
> Continental U.S. usually refers to the contiguious 48 states and the 
> District of Columbia.  While the exclusion is literally incorrect, the usage 
> predates Alaskan Statehood.

Well, current usage of "Continental US" is 48 states, plus DC
and Alaska.  But not including Hawaii or the territories. It 
may have started prior to Alaskan Statehood, but it has changed
over time.  You will see the term a lot when you ship packages.

The "Contiguous US" is minus Alaska, Hawaii and the territories.
As is the "Lower 48".
> 
> 
> > The next largest was the Fort Tejon Quake, on the San Andreas
> > Fault, on Jan. 9, 1857, with a magnitude of 7.92.  Then comes
> > the 4th New Madric Quake on Feb. 7, 1812, with a magnitude of
> > 7.88.  The Great Quake of San Francisco, on April 18, 1906 was
> > a magnitude of 7.80.
> >
> 
> As I recall all of these magnitudes are estimates based on recorded 
> occurences during the earthquakes.  I don't recall whether or not the San 
> Francisco Earthquake was recorded, but it is possible as John Milne invented 
> the modern seismograph in 1880.  Magnitudes tend to be more questionable the 
> further back you go.
> 
> > However, the Daly City Quake on March 22, 1957, was a moderate
> > quake with a 5.3 magnitude.  Yes, it was the largest quake
> > in _San Francisco_ since the big one in 1906, but it was not
> > the biggest one in _California_ in between those dates.
> 
> It was big enough for me and I took my teachers at their word that it was 
> the biggest in CA since '06.

Even teachers can be wrong on occasion.

> In nearly 40 years around Oklahoma, I've never actually been in the 
> immediate vicinity of a tornado.  I've been in the path, I've chased a few 
> and I've cleared debris.  While they are dangerous and scary as hell to be 
> around, they are very fast disasters, usually with limited damage.  I'll 
> take a tornado to a hurricane any day (remembering the interminable wait for 
> Camille to pass by).

I can understand that, but tornados last longer than and earthquake and leave greater destruction
in a more consentrated
area than earthquakes.  I have lived 54 years in Los Angeles.
I have felt many earthquakes, but have never had my house or
place of business damaged by one.  Yes, I have had to pick up
a lot of books that were shaken off bookshelves, and picked up
a few knicknacks up at home, but that was the extent of my
experience.  Yes, I have seen places that have been damaged, 
but if you were to put all of the places together in one place,
it is my humble opinion, the damage would be smaller than
the path of a tornado, or at least in current times.  The 
majority of the damage from the Great Quake of '06 in San Francisco was from fire, not earthquake.
> 
> My latest missed disaster was a fire last week that burned out most of the 
> building where I have a storage unit.  Fortunately, the fire was stopped 
> about 15 feet from where my stuff was stored.

I am so glad that you were spared that.  Hopefully, none of your
stuff was water damaged?

Huette

Remember that while money talks, chocolate sings.

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