Earthquake 2009… roll on, roll on.
wuya zui! 
I felt a very, very small one in the middle of the night, the kind you can only feel if you have a jiggly mattress and you’re lying quietly on it. Sometimes those coincide with very, very distant by powerful earthquakes, so I woke up this morning expecting to read about one, and sure 'nuf, there was a big one in Indonesia. Coincidence?
At least two small shakes just now…
I was outside throwing out the garbage at the time…didn’t feel anything.
Felt a little rumble just now in Taichung…
Have you guys seen the pics regarding yesterday’s quake in Taitong? 
No. Link?
Dunno. It is in the print version of the China Post, and on CNA on the Internet -pics cannot/should not be downloaded.
It is a small grocery store, and all teh stuff from the shelves is on the floor.
http://www.cna.com.tw/CNAeng/Photogallery/Default.aspx?PhotoDate=20090210&PhotoName=enp0017&NumberofPage=0
Edit:
seems they were special “twin” earthquakes
as I am not very familiar with earthquakes (though i am a frequent visitor to Indonesia), could someone please tell the big rumble to wait until I left the country in March
a lunchtime 4.2 shaker here, pretty much right under us. Sounded like had dropped a guai-shou in our front garden. The wife claimed not to have felt a thing .
Mini-quake here in Oxford! Weird. But good to know I still tread the earth…
NICE!
Damn, you’re quick, jlick!
OOOh! My apartment was just rocked a little.
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M 5.5 18.2 km ESE of Hualien City 2009-04-17 20:37 #027 (0417203755027)
cwb.gov.tw/eng/seismic/Data/ … 755027.gif
cwb.gov.tw/eng/seismic/Data/ … 755027.txt
[code] CWB EARTHQUAKE REPORT
Earthquake No.: 98027
Origin time (Taiwan Standard Time: GMT+08:00): 4/17/2009 20:37:49.4
Location: 23.90N 121.77E, i.e. 18.2 km ESE of Hualien City
Depth : 34.9 km
Magnitude(ML): 5.5
Local Largest Intensity :
Hualien County 4
Yilan County 3
Hualien City 3
Changhua City 3
Douliou City 3
Nantou County 2
Taoyuan County 2
Taichung County 2
Nantou City 2
Miaoli County 2
Taipei County 2
Yilan City 2
Taichung City 2
Miaoli City 2
Chiayi City 2
Taitung County 1
Hsinchu City 1
Hsinchu County 1
Taipei City 1
Taoyuan City 1
Chiayi County 1
Tainan County 1
Tainan City 1
Kaohsiung City 1
Keelung City 1
Penghu County 1
[/code]
M 5.5 花蓮市地震站東偏南方 18.2 公里 2009-04-17 20:37 #027 (0417203755027)
cwb.gov.tw/V5/seismic/Data/q … 755027.gif
cwb.gov.tw/V5/seismic/Data/q … 755027.txt
[code] 中央氣象局地震測報中心 第027號有感地震報告
發 震 時 間： 98年 4月17日20時37分49.4秒
震 央 位 置： 北 緯 23.90 °
東 經 121.77 °
震 源 深 度： 34.9 公里
芮 氏 規 模： 5.5
相 對 位 置： 花蓮市地震站東偏南方 18.2 公里
各 地 震 度 級
花蓮地區最大震度 4級 宜蘭地區最大震度 3級 彰化地區最大震度 3級
銅 門 4 牛 鬥 3 彰化市 3
太魯閣 4 蘇 澳 2
鹽 寮 3 內 城 2
秀 林 3 宜蘭市 2
光 復 3
和 平 3
花蓮市 3
西 林 3
紅 葉 2
雲林地區最大震度 3級 南投地區最大震度 2級 桃園地區最大震度 2級
斗六市 3 埔 里 2 三 光 2
南投市 2 桃園市 1
台中地區最大震度 2級 苗栗地區最大震度 2級 台北地區最大震度 2級
東 勢 2 獅頭山 2 新 店 2
台中市 2 苗栗市 2 貢 寮 1
外 埔 1 三 義 1 台北市 1
基隆市 1
嘉義地區最大震度 2級 台東地區最大震度 1級 新竹地區最大震度 1級
嘉義市 2 利 稻 1 新竹市 1
六 腳 1 蘭 嶼 1 竹 北 1
台南地區最大震度 1級 高雄地區最大震度 1級 澎湖地區最大震度 1級
善 化 1 高雄市 1 馬 公 1
台南市 1
[/code]
That was my first one since I moved here. Am still feeling a bit scared.
Just a quick question - if an earthquake starts and I’m at home, is there anywhere I should go to in case it gets really big (under the bed/table/on the toilet)?
Remember the night we had 4 quakes? That was fun. I’m glad we had this one…it’s been a while and it needs to release some pressure.
[quote=“greenmark”]That was my first one since I moved here. Am still feeling a bit scared.
Just a quick question - if an earthquake starts and I’m at home, is there anywhere I should go to in case it gets really big (under the bed/table/[color=#FF0080]on the toilet[/color])?[/quote]
Hehehe!
[quote=“greenmark”]That was my first one since I moved here. Am still feeling a bit scared.
Just a quick question - if an earthquake starts and I’m at home, is there anywhere I should go to in case it gets really big (under the bed/table/on the toilet)?[/quote]
Don’t worry, greenmark, that was just a small one. They’re only scary when you’re not used to them.
As to what you should do, well, first, just sensibly prepare your apartment. Don’t put valuable, fragile or dangerous things where they might fall (especially on you); that includes heavy paintings or a mirror above your bed, for instance. If you do have tall cabinets or shelves which could topple easily, consider fastening them to the wall with L-brackets. Put heavier objects on lower shelves, and lighter objects on higher ones.
If a quake starts, don’t panic! If you’re cooking, calmly turn off the flame and move to safety. Move away from things which could fall, including large, tall furniture like shelves, wardrobes and refrigerators. Advice after that point varies, partly due to differences in construction standards in various countries. If you’re in bed, grab a pillow, cover your head with it and get on the floor next to the bed. Being under a sturdy desk isn’t bad in a moderate quake, and is suitable protection in typical US-style homes, which don’t tend to pancake during quakes, but in the event of a huge one that partially collapses a concrete building like the ones here, I have read that your best chances (and this is sure to start a debate!) are being next to strong structural supports like load-bearing internal walls, perhaps in a corner, or next to (not under) a solid, uncrushable object, like a bed, so that if the ceiling comes down, you’re under the lean-to , or "Triangle of Life"created by the ceiling and bed, if you get my drift. The latter theory is controversial and there are some serious questions about the author of the theory, but it still makes a lot of sense to me based on the construction here. Most of the objections to it seemed to be based on guidelines specific to US-style home construction, which don’t apply here. I’d be interested to hear what others think about this, however.
What you don’t want to do IMO is panic, running barefoot over broken glass, or run out under the facade of the building while the shaking is going on, as that’s a danger zone of falling glass, windows, facing material and signs, IMO. I’ve also read that stairwells tend to collapse easily. Maybe someone else has better info?