Pictures by Zenan WarmanI woke up very early this morning after sneaking off to bed early last night. For a while I lay there thinking about the week just gone and the week ahead of me. After about half an hour OH was stirring, a few moans and grunts we coming from his direction and I decided to go and make a coffee. I got back in bed and sat sipping the hot drink for a few minutes and then put it on the bedside table.
By this time OH was a little more awake and I was telling him about a programme I had watched on TV this week when all of a sudden the walls and bed started shaking and the pictures in the bedroom were swaying from side to side. It seemed to go for a few seconds stop and then start again. It felt like someone had picked the house up and was shaking it hard. Finally it stopped and outside there were house and car alarms going off. OH soon jumped out of bed and went to investigate. My sons who normally stay in bed as long as possible when they haven't got college or work dashed out of their bedrooms with cries of 'What the heck' and 'What's going on'.
Out in the street neighbours had started to gather some still in PJ.s and dressing gowns and were trying to decipher what had happened. The electricity was off so no opportunity to put the TV or computers on. The only way to find out was to get in the car and listen to our local radio station KMFM. Reports where confused at first, some people saying it was an explosion others an thinking it was an earthquake. An explosion is not that impossible as we live not to far from a nuclear power station and also the Channel Tunnel both target for terrorism .
Mobiles where working although busy at times. Text from friends told of it being experienced for miles around. Plaster falling off and stairs coming away from walls. Nobody had electricity.
By this time OH was a little more awake and I was telling him about a programme I had watched on TV this week when all of a sudden the walls and bed started shaking and the pictures in the bedroom were swaying from side to side. It seemed to go for a few seconds stop and then start again. It felt like someone had picked the house up and was shaking it hard. Finally it stopped and outside there were house and car alarms going off. OH soon jumped out of bed and went to investigate. My sons who normally stay in bed as long as possible when they haven't got college or work dashed out of their bedrooms with cries of 'What the heck' and 'What's going on'.
Out in the street neighbours had started to gather some still in PJ.s and dressing gowns and were trying to decipher what had happened. The electricity was off so no opportunity to put the TV or computers on. The only way to find out was to get in the car and listen to our local radio station KMFM. Reports where confused at first, some people saying it was an explosion others an thinking it was an earthquake. An explosion is not that impossible as we live not to far from a nuclear power station and also the Channel Tunnel both target for terrorism .
Mobiles where working although busy at times. Text from friends told of it being experienced for miles around. Plaster falling off and stairs coming away from walls. Nobody had electricity.
A few hours later the electricity had been restored and we gathered around to watch Sky News for information. We had been lucky and had no damaged to our property but other nearby have. Apparently it was an earthquake out at sea measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale.
Youngest son swears he tided his room yesterday evening but the force of the earthquake has thrown clothes around the room and cd's onto the floor. I told him his room always looks like there has been an earthquake.
This is not the first earthquake I have experienced but I hope it's the last. Many years ago when I lived in Leicestershire and again early one morning I watched as the walls shook and the chest of draws vibrated on the floor and wonder what was happening was it a dream. We are so lucky in this country that they aren't worse and that our homes say mainly in tact even after being shook violently.
1 comment:
That must have been very frightening, although as your such an "old hand" at quakes these days maybe not! Only kidding, glad that you escaped this one and hope that it will be the last.
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