The yellow box shows the epicenter of today's earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey.
Posted on 09/10/2006 8:51:47 PM PDT by stainlessbanner
TAMPA, Fla. -- Some Central Florida residents reported pictures falling off the wall and the ground moving beneath their feet during a strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico that sent shockwaves from Louisiana to Central Florida.
Walt Disney World employee Sue Denison wrote Local 6 News and said she heard something strange and then felt a shaking that went on for much longer than the sonic boom when the shuttle makes a landing.
A homeowner in Windermere, Fla., BF Walker, told Local 6 News that he felt a slight swaying of his home during the earthquake. Another Central Floridian, Troy McCormick, said he felt his house shaking slightly as if a big truck was going by.
Scott Kelly, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne said he was working on a short term forecast for the area when he felt a weak vibration beneath his feet that lasted about 15 seconds, according to Local 6 News partner Florida Today.
"I felt the tremor, my computer screen monitor shook and I could feel a little shaking on the floor," Kelly said.
Rockledge resident Lina Norwood told Florida Today that she was sitting in her second-story condominium when the chair started moving.
"I was just sitting here in my little condo when my chair started rocking. It felt strong to me and I wondered if other people felt it," Norwood said. "My husband was standing in the kitchen and he didn't feel it. It did rattle some pictures but nothing fell. It lasted only a few seconds."
The earthquake, centered about 260 miles southwest of Tampa, was too small to trigger tsunami danger, the agency said. The USGS received almost 1,500 reports from people as far away as North Carolina who felt the 10:56 a.m. temblor.
"This is a fairly unique event. There is no danger," said Don Blakeman, an earthquake analyst with the National Earthquake Information Center. "I wouldn't expect any substantial damage, but it is possible there will be some minor damage."
Florida counties along the gulf called the state emergency operations center with reports of tremors, but no significant damage was reported, spokesman Mike Stone said. Gov. Jeb Bush was informed of the situation, Stone said.
Although the earthquake was classified as unusually strong, it was not powerful enough to generate a tsunami or other dangerous wave activity, Blakeman said.
The epicenter is an unusual location for earthquake activity, but scientists recorded a magnitude 5.2 temblor in the same location on Feb. 10.
"Technically, it's not Florida," Blakeman said. "It's out in the Gulf of Mexico. This kind of occurrence is unusual in that spot, especially for an earthquake of this size."
The most prevalent vibration, which last for about 20 seconds, was felt on the gulf coast of Florida and in southern Georgia, Blakeman said. But residents in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana also called in reports.
The yellow box shows the epicenter of today's earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico. U.S. Geological Survey.
Add this to fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding....and big skeeters!
From responses on ajc.com this was felt throughout the Atlanta area. Unfortunately I slept through the whole thing.
Well, Katherine Harris does oppose sin. Or sin on the part of others, at least.
Both my wife and I felt it in Miami Beach. My very first earthquake!
Very unusual, though my last earthquake was in New Hampshire!
Hmmm ... have an UNEASY start this morning ... .
I don't like this ... .
...just felt very calm listening to the wonderful sermon.
I'm on the Space Coast....close to KSC and Melbourne.
We were in Los Angeles around the time of 9/11/2001 and a few weeks before that date, I definitely felt a small tremor.
That's when our old dog started getting agitated- I will be doggoned, I thought she was just "acting weird," like she does when she catches the scent of a raccoon or possum or stray cat.
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