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Old 01-23-2007, 06:15 PM
 
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What is San Jose like? Are there a lot of earthquakes in San Jose and Santa Cruz?
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Old 01-24-2007, 02:15 AM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
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No offense to people who live there, but San Jose is often called the "step-child to San Francisco". It's a somewhat generic city, and even though the population is higher than San Fran, it doesn't have the same urban feel... to me it's always seemed like a huge clump of suburbs - if that makes sense. But it does have some good shopping (West Valley Mall & Santana Row are the best!), restaurants from all cultures/countries, a few nice museums, and great weather. It's also very safe for a big city, and the total crime rate is about half of San Francisco's. In addition, it's much cheaper than SF, but still expensive compared to other parts of the country. San Jose is extremely diverse, with an almost equal percentage of Caucasian, Hispanic & Asian people (small Black community)... the town isn't too "segregated", but does have pockets that are mostly one ethnic group. Overall, it's a pretty nice place to live, especially if you work in the tech industry!

About earthquakes, the whole Bay Area is part of "earthquake country"... and believe it or not, the state of California averages around 300 quakes per WEEK. The good news is that most are insignificant, and you won't even notice they've happened. I was here for the '89 Loma Prieta (7.1 magnitude), and that was frightening, but we rarely get anything above a 4.0-5.0. San Jose and Santa Cruz are both near the San Andreas fault, which is what caused the '89 quake... they say the Hayward fault is next to "blow", but they've been saying that for over 20 years. Anyway, it's not something to stress over too much. For more info:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/faultline/index.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/...aultlines.html
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/....-125.-115.php (shake map, which updates every quake)
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Old 01-24-2007, 08:49 AM
 
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Question Loma Prieta

What is the best thing to do when an earthquake hits? For example, what did you do during Loma Prieta in order to stay safe?
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Old 01-24-2007, 10:41 AM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SarahGabrielle View Post
What is the best thing to do when an earthquake hits? For example, what did you do during Loma Prieta in order to stay safe?
When the Loma Prieta hit, it was just 3 days before my 13th birthday, and I was at an ice-skating rink (I used to compete). I was in the lobby doing homework, sitting at a table with another skater's mother... didn't even realize the quake had started, until she pulled me under the table! But it seemed to last forever, and I just watched the lights swaying on the ceiling. My sister was on the ice, where lights were actually falling down, and she hurt her shoulder when a coach pushed her to safety... her shoulder is weak from a childhood accident, but that was still pretty bad! Our house also suffered damage, since it was an old non-earthquake-safe Victorian.

Anyway, the safety procedure for an earthquake is to get under a table, desk, or anything else that can protect your head... you can also stand in a door-frame, since they're supposedly the strongest part of a home. I experienced a quake in Las Vegas once, while in a room on the 30-something floor of the MGM - all I could do was stand in the doorway and scream! (tall buildings sway like crazy in quakes, due to retrofitting) If you're outside when it hits, get as far from trees/poles as possible, then duck & cover. Most earthquakes are over before you have a chance to react, but this is what you do in a BIG one!

P.S. I just realized that I answered 3 of your threads, so I apologize if they got repetitive...
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Old 01-24-2007, 01:32 PM
 
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Question earthquake in Vegas

Was the swaying of the building in slow motion or was it fast? That is such a weird concept. It sounds really scary. Do you know if most people in California are more scared of hurricanes than earthquakes?
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Old 01-25-2007, 06:15 AM
 
Location: In the Redwoods
30,345 posts, read 51,937,226 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SarahGabrielle View Post
Was the swaying of the building in slow motion or was it fast? That is such a weird concept. It sounds really scary. Do you know if most people in California are more scared of hurricanes than earthquakes?
The swaying was slow, but strong... like being on a boat in very rough waters! And it went on for quite a while, since it reverberates (or whatever you call it) after the actual quake. That has to do with the retrofitting, which keeps the building from crumbling to pieces - so it's actually a good thing. There's also a crazy sound that goes along with an earthquake, which usually tips you off... as a kid I had mirrored closets, and they'd "clank" even in a tiny shaker. And yes, I would guess that most Californians are more afraid of hurricanes, especially the "natives". That's just because we don't get them, and they're also much more common than big quakes. We've had maybe 3-4 significant ones (Loma Prieta, Northridge & 29 Palms) in the entire state, since I moved here in 1983... how many big hurricanes have occurred in that time? Average of one per year?? We don't get a warning like you do with storms, but chances are still lower of losing your home/life in a quake.

Last edited by gizmo980; 01-25-2007 at 06:26 AM..
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Old 01-25-2007, 10:27 AM
 
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Default Wow

I could never even imagine something like that. How did you know when to evacuate the building and how long did that take?
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Old 01-25-2007, 10:33 AM
 
Location: The Bronx
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SarahGabrielle View Post
What is the best thing to do when an earthquake hits? For example, what did you do during Loma Prieta in order to stay safe?
1) Pray. 2) Pray.

heh, heh. There really isn't much else. Stay out of unreinforced masonry buildings.

As I said in another thread, I was in Loma Prieta. I drove that very day on both the Cypress structure and the Bay Bridge. In fact, it was about 2 hours before it happened.
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Old 01-25-2007, 01:18 PM
GSB
 
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I too was in the Loma Prieta earthquake having lived my first 29 years in San Jose. I just graduated high school in '89. I had just got up from the kitchen table to go outside. My mom's china cabinet then fell on the kitchen table. I stood in the doorway of a side door to the house and watched outside. Strange seeing waves in the pavement and cars that were six feet apart now bumping each other.

The earthquakes you actually feel are pretty rare, maybe one a year and most people dont worry too much about another big one. Just prepare the best you can I guess.
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Old 01-25-2007, 08:42 PM
 
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Question Loma Prieta

Was there noise that accompanied Loma Prieta? Is there a unique sound to earthquakes? If so, what do they sound like?
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