Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Whole Lotta Shakin'

The earthquake centered in Virginia on August 23 rattled folks from Altanta to Boston. Here at the Badge Company of New Jersey, it rattled us just about as much as we care to be rattled by such things.

Having never previously experienced an earthquake, it took us a few seconds to realize what was going on. We had a few "what the ?" moments before grasping the situation.

Having never previously experience an earthquake, we were unprepared for how it turned the walls and floors into Jell-O. We would have guessed that the whole room might shake in a manner similar to when a heavy truck goes by, but no, the whole room wobbled in a disconnected and disorienting way.

The fact that our offices are on the second floor may have slightly intensified the effect; we can only imagine what it may have been like in taller buildings.

Reportedly, it was a relatively shallow earthquake, contributing to its effect being felt over so large an area.

It was also reported to be the largest east coast earthquake in 67 years, making it truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most people in this part of the country. Once the shaking stopped, a friend quickly posted the message, "Time to cross ‘earthquake’ off the bucket list."