We had a major earthquake here in California yesterday which has been followed by lots and lots of aftershocks. I live 20 miles from Mexicali where the epicenter was. Very scary! Two people have died in Mexico. There is quite a bit of damage here. If you watch the national news they make it seem like it's not a big deal but to us it is a big deal. Here's a link to an article in our local paper. http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2010/04/05/local_news/news01.txt

Take care Ledeana!

There were so many quakes over the weekend where you live.

What in the world is going on with our earth? It seems like we are going to self-destruct or something!

So I'm dreading goign into the office today...we are still getting shaken out here. A 5.1 quake centered somewhere in CA woke me up at 4:15 this morning and the noise actually passed through the length of my house--I heard it travel from one end to the other. If I feel a big quake at the office on the 14th floor, I think I will [censored] myself....seriously. The 7.2 yesterday was scary...not at first, but it lasted so long and then got bigger at the end. That's when I jumped up, yelled "Holy [censored]!" and ran to the doorway. Need to practice my skills though, because I ran into the doorway of a glass patio door My house is ok so far--lost a picture frame and knocekd over some stuff leanin gagainst the wall. I was at the bf's parents house when it happened and just hope my animals weren't too scared.

A lot of the quaked we are getting now aren't aftershocks, btu quakes triggered by the energy of the 7.2--there are centered at other locations and fault lines. Again, here's the list of just the quakes hitting 3.0 or better.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/quakes_big.php

Definitely the biggest quake I have felt in my life...and the first to actually scare me on the ground (excluding the ones in the high rise...those always get me!).

My nerves are shot! My parents live in El Centro and they still do not have any power. My dad had surgery this past week and so when the earthquake hit I drove the 5 miles to their house as quickly as I could. Man, what a mess! All of the antiques and things that they have accumulated over their almost 60 years of marriage were all broken! So sad. They were handling it so well. At least we are all okay. I'm sure we are going to keep having aftershocks for a long time.

I received an email this morning about this, asking if I felt it in Phx. No, I didn't. But I hope for a swift recovery from that damages. Scary stuff.

From what I had read, I thought it was just pretty much in Mexico. Hope it ends soon for you. Ledeana - so sorry for your parents

I'm glad I selected Florida instead of California now. I don't think I want to add earthquake to my list of travel related work stories. And the earthquakes seem to be more frequent lately.

The epicenter was in Mexico but we only live 20 miles away so we definitely felt it and now we are having to clean up from it. This is a small community and you hardly ever hear sirens. I heard so many sirens yesterday that I thought we were in a big metropolitan area. People were lined up at the gas stations like the world was ending and they needed just enough gas to make it to the end. It was a little chaotic, that's for sure!

My sister in-law had a house just south of Mexi-Cali. Her only house, it was destroyed yesterday. They are devastated, they have slowly been building that house over the last 17 years and just got done putting in tile over the weekend (they live with concrete floors for years) it was the finishing touch. Now house has crumbled and there is no hazard insurance on the house.

I got a call from them after 10 last night, they are unable to get out of Mexico, the border is closed, the bridge is out so that they can't even get into town so they are stuck on a road with hundreds of other people trying to head north. Fortunately they were able to find a generator to use to keep my brother in law's oxygen tank working.

They are thankful not be hurt but devastated, they pretty much grabbed medications and whatever they could hold in their hands and got out. They said everything else is lost.

Wow. My heart goes to them.
How terrible!

You all need to move out of California, you're getting too many people there, and it is going to capsize!

Seriously, why would anyone live someplace where this kind of thing has happened so much that the world as a whole hears earthquake rocks california, and thinks, wonder what artist performed?

Im not as close as Ledeana and dip, but I sure felt it at my house yesterday (north OC). It went on and on and on -- just a rolling motion. I don't remember one that lasted quite that long, and I'm a native Californian. I usually don't react to them much, but this time I did get up and go into the inside hallway.

Came into the office this morning in Irvine, and we found quite a few cracks in the drywall, mainly in the corners and around the windows. I'm glad I wasn't here in the office when it hit - we're on the 4th floor.

Made it to work and half out elevators shut off during the quake and still need to be reset. The BofA across the street lost a ground floor window panel. Aside from one local hotel, structural damage here seems to be minimal.

Crossing my fingers today that I don't feel any earthquakes in the office. I think I might soil myself The shake/roll/sway is intensified the higher up you go--I hate it.

Oh, BNS, sorry abotu your family--can't imagine losing a hosue liek that. I was thinking today about calling my insuramce agent abotu earthquake coverage and imagine a lot of other people are doign the same. It's really too bad your family didn't have any

Part of the 8 freeway was displaced from these quakes near/in Seeley CA. People headed West are being diverted.

My heart goes out to all how have lost in this event.

Dip, I think the insurance industry places a moratorium on writing new earthquake coverage for a certain number of days after an earthquake. Check with your insurance agent. Oh, and it ain't cheap, either!

Arg! figures.....

Dip, have you heard if/when they are going to re-open the border in Mexicali?

The news doesn't really say very much, instead they have pictures of someone's swimming pool sloshing and tweets about how someone's hangers were rattling in the closet...big deal!

Oh, I hope that you not getting rattled today!!

I haven't heard anything--wonder if the border crossings have a website???

Thsi was the best I coudl find...

http://apps.cbp.gov/bwt/

Hmm, I guess that means you can go in but not out?

Gee, they don't really give you info do they?

Thank you so much for finding that, at least I can check on it and once they open I'll know that they might be able to get moving.

That almost does make sense - they most likely don't want people fleeing Mexico and crossing into California. Sad.