Web Logs
12/9/2003 - Was That an Earthquake?
Had it happened 20 minutes earlier I never would have noticed. I'd have been commuting from Rockville along the GW parkway and I'm sure my cars suspension would have deadened any sensations. But as I was sitting quietly at home, surfing some news sites, it was very noticeable. A low rumble, the hairs on the back of my neck stiffening, and Will's handmade cabinet rattling with an unnerving tone. Then the heating unit cut on.
My first reaction was that the hvac unit had blown and I rushed downstairs to see what was wrong, but nothing was out of place...
I then reasoned that someone in one of the adjoining units must have back his or her car into their unit and I walked outside to see it that was the case, but all was well.
With growing concern, I went out front to see if any more dire plumes of smoke were billowing from the direction of the Pentagon, but all was quiet. No smoke, no sirens.
"It couldn't have been an earthquake." I said to myself as I shook my head and went back inside. Later that night the news proved me wrong: a 4.5 on the Richter scale centered about 30 miles from Richmond. Hmm...
