Pulling Threads

10:45 AM today. My wife and I were in the home office, chatting about news. Both of our phones interrupted with multiple chimes and dings. As we both reached for them, she wondered, “What in the world is that noise,” and I said at the same times, “Something has happened, because we’re both getting alerts.”

A USGS Shakealert had been issued. Roughly, ‘Major earthquake detected. Duck and cover. Hold on.’

We’d not felt anything. My wife leaped up and looked out the window. I flipped into search mode on my computer. Email? Nothing. Nextdoor? Nothing.

We turned on the television and searched local news channels and went onto the local radio and television online news sites. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

Facebook had a thread. Someone showed the alert and said, “Do anyone else get this message? Did anyone feel anything?”

Comments began coming in. Where people were, what they’d felt.

I went to the USGS Shakealert site. It was there that I learned about a 7.2 magnitude earthquake off the NorCal coast at 10:44 AM. Aftershocks were felt in some parts of southern Oregon and northern California. A tsunami warning was issued for that affected coastline.

So now we wait to see what happens. We’re not near the affected regions. Fingers crossed, and hopes and prayers.