Hit by 5.9 Quake

We were hit a few hours ago by a 5.9 earthquake. The equicenter was a few miles northeast of us at Mineral, VA. Because it is so close, Charlottesville is considered part of the epicenter. D.C. and Richmond are also quite close, but not as close as we are (we live north of town).

I had clothes in the dryer downstairs. At first I thought it was the dryer, but I could see the walls and ceiling buckling toward me, the entire townhouse we have jumping up and down, and there was this loud awful roar - just roaring and roaring, shaking and shaking. My head felt numb and I could hardly move, still I streaked downstairs to stop the dryer. One thing you can depend on with me - if there is an emergency, I am a good person to have around. I move. I act. It wasn't the dryer. I fled outside screaming, thinking it was that huge machinery in back of us turning what was once a forest, now a moonscape, into a housing development. Susan next door screamed, "What is this?" I yelled for the men to stop their machines, they were destroying our home. Finally the foreman yelled back, "It's not us. It's an earthquake." An earthquake? I told Susan, and asked her to be sure and check all her pipes and connections. I would do the same. I did. Every room. Every floor. Pictures needed straightening, a few things fell off, the fireplace flue was opened and a wasp was flying around.

Our home passed the test. Everything seems to be fine. No cracks. Pipes and connections working. There were several small aftershocks, but I couldn't tell you when they stopped or started as I felt the ground moving continuously. The electricity in the air was phenomenal. I cried. I shook. Then I went next door to help Susan and her son. We are all fine. Terry is too. So many friends called to check in on me. Steff, my webmaster in Northeastern NY State felt it. Ellen Louise felt it in New York City area, bounced the doors off her bedroom closet. Natalie in North Carolina felt it. According to TV a broad sweep of states felt it. I don't know what the final assessment will be, but I doubt that this was just a fault-line shaking. It had to be a rift that was hit, to have involved such a huge swath including Georgia, Michigan, West Virginia, even Toronto in Canada.

I am barely able to think again but am still shaking. My legs are picking up discomfort from the earth. We'll know more about our home this weekend when Hurricane Irene hits our area. For now, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who prayed for us, called to check in on us - and thank you, God. Mercy reigns, and I am very grateful. God bless us all, PMH