So at 4:36 am this morning I was making my lunch (I go to work real early!) and felt a little shake but mostly heard the windows rattle and it sounded like everyone was coming down the stairs. Just as soon as it started it all of the sudden stopped. I thought that it was very odd and didn't think anything about it. It's not like an earthquake could occur here. I was watching the news to see the weather and they reported that an earthquake just hit Illinois, 240 miles south near Salem. It was a 5.4 and was felt here in Chicago but as far as 450 miles away. My sister lives in Louisville KY, about 90 miles from the epicenter. She said that her bed was shaking like crazy and things moving around. From what I've seen so far there hasn't been any damage.
I had no idea there was a fault line here and the last time an earthquake hit here was 1968, so not like I would know that anyway. But it got me thinking about earthquakes in diverse places. A few years back there was that tornado that occurred right in downtown Salt Lake City, how strange was that! I guess this earthquake doesn't beat that tornado in oddity, but it comes close. We hear about earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, and drought throughout the earth. But it something different when you realize it is happening where you live. We had that earthquake, severe flooding occurred just this fall in mid-Illinois (in our stake! The church and our ward assisted with the clean up and helping families in the area), last summer over 200 people died in Chicago related to heat (in 1995 almost 600 people died in a freak heat wave in Chicago), and this winter was one of the coldest on record with record amount of snow. I could talk about global warming, our human impact, and our responsibility and stewardship in caring for this wonderful Earth...but I'll avoid the backlash and endless comments...this time. However I will note my own feeling as I have lived in 6 States and have family living in many different States, that what is happening in the world is also really happening in not as noticeable (or publicised) ways everywhere. Sign of the times? I think so. But I find it interesting that we have been so used to the strange tornadoes or odd earthquakes that it almost seems normal, almost not even news worthy. I can see how people can be lulled away into not seeing what is actually happening in front of all of us. Well...that is just what I've been thinking.
--- John
PS.
A funny note is that Lajuana slept right through the earthquake! Now she can't make fun of me for sleeping through an earthquake we went through in Oregon. It is all very funny in light of my commentary above!
8 comments:
I think you really hit the nail on the head. I think you don't hear much about "signs of the times" outside of church because people will just think we are a bunch of crazy-doomsday-nutjobs. The irony is, that IN church if you mention global warming or conservation then you are considered a crazy-liberal-nutjob.
Hopefully our next administration will appoint a scientist instead of a businessman to be the head of the EPA. But maybe it is too audacious to hope for such a thing?
Woah, pretty crazy..I've heard of a fault in Missouri area called New Madrid that wreaked havoc in the 1800's the Mississippi even flowed backwards!
I remember the Oregon earthquake. It was pretty wild. I was talking with someone on the phone...I think it might even have been LaJuana. Crazy. It is just so good that no one got hurt.
STM, you are totally right. I'm afraid our neighbors think we're conservative and wacky, while others in the church think we're liberal and wacky. We can't win.
Ryan, you're right about that earthquake in the 1800's -- it was a major quake, they felt it all the way to Boston. They say if one happened like that now, there would be widespread destruction because the midwest is so populated now. We need you to come make sure our buildings are safe!
Good Life, that was the second earthquake in Oregon we felt, and yes, that was me on the phone with you. I grabbed Garrett and got under a door jamb, and we stayed on the phone the whole time. The earthquake that John slept through was while we still lived in that apartment near you, and it was a Saturday morning I think, before Garrett was born.
Well, I changed all the names one day, but John says he doesn't like it and wants to keep our real names. Oh well.
I love your blog and I loved seeing your pictures of St. George, that is my hometown!
Earthquake huh? That is pretty crazy, and I agree with you on the "sign of the times!"
I heard about an earthquake in IL on the news. I just caught the end of the clip on the radio in the car. I thought it was odd because with my limited knowledge of geography it doesn't seem like an earthquake hot spot. -Andrea
We felt the one that happened in NV not too long ago. It was really weird...
It felt like the floor was rippling underneath me when the one in Nevada hit and that scared me pretty bad because Callan and Connor were home and I froze knowing what to do. It's bad to say, but I tend to get the attitude of "as long as it's not by me or happening to me, I don't have to be worried", but if one hit here in Utah, I've heard it would be devastating!! I know back when I was in high school in 1992, they made such a big deal about if an earthquake hit here in Utah it would be awful and now it's almost 20 years later, so how would it be now?
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