L'aura del Campo

Rumble in Eureka: 6.5 quake

The clock in Old Town stopped at 4:28 this afternoon as a major 6.5 earthquake in the ocean off of Ferndale shook Humboldt County.

I was around 6th and H and on my way to Old Town for a coffee. Crossed the street to an open parking lot where boy scouts were pouring out of the building. Spoke with a woman (Ali's mother?) at the Indian restaurant at 5th and G and with other folks on the way for a coffee, but with electricity out there was none downtown. There was also no way to call out as the circuits were jammed.

The barista I chatted with yesterday at Old Town Coffee and Chocolate was fairly shaken and sitting at the curb worried that the roof had come down in her studio. The windows at the coffeeshop were history as were a number of windows all over downtown. One bar was reported to be awash in liquor from broken bottles. The bay was reported to have acted strange, but no tsunami was expected. Bricks had fallen here and there as well. Electric was out in a large area and if it stays out, restaurants will be losing their product. Jobs may be affected.

Here at Rainbowapple 's place a few things were knocked over and broken, but nothing major as far as I can tell. Anabel's BIL Kent had already gotten here and done an assessment. There is electric, gas and hot water for my swim this evening. We all wait for aftershocks. A 5.0 is predicted.

Noted: the electric lines moving like jump ropes, the swarm of people, everyone with a cell phone to their ear asking others if they could call out, people gathered in groups... away from the buildings, sudden traffic, businessmen taking pictures, sweeping up the glass, concern in nervous voices, a dog licking my hand.

As for the piggies... they were squealing when I checked on them... but that's normal. They wanted carrots.

58,293