Hi Canie,

The link has already expired, so I was unable to read the story. However, when people talk about what can happen during an earthquake it is so impotant to let them know the "big one" doesn't have to be a 7.0 quake, its the one that is close enough to shake their homes, offices, roads and give them a memory that will last a lifetime.

When I worked in San Francisco some years ago we had a really good shaker. The building was an old masonry structure and the lights hung on long poles with big round globes at the ends. They were swaying almost to the degree of hitting the ceiling. The enormous windows rattled like crazy and the floor felt like ocean waves. As we had tile floors I had to hold onto my desk to keep from rolling into the center of the room. In the midst of this, the elevator got stuck between the floors with some of the people I worked with and others and I could hear them screaming in sheer panic. That was my first experience as an adult which was so vivid.

After Loma Prieta the building was considered unsafe and torn down. So frequently I wish for some moderate non harmful quakes to bring a little preparedness thought process to the forefront, but ole Mother Nature has her own ideas.

Thanks for the reminder and let us all do the best we can to prepare for the quake that gives us damage, but is not the "big one."

Petra