Evacuating the Pentagon? 5.8? Perhaps an overreaction?
true. but, in the inital seconds, they didn’t know it was an earthquake...
I was visiting a friend in downtown DC. Lying on a couch reading. Felt very strong shaking. Looked like the wall was moving and creaking. No cracks or fallen objects. About 10 seconds. Cell phones not working well. 5.9 latest report. News says from Va. to Mass. Also warning this could be a preliminary shock, so we could get worse. Also there are likely to be aftershocks. Big buildings like the Pentagon and the Capitol are more vulnerable to damage. This may be the strongest east coast earthquake since the Charleston earthquake in 1886(?). I also felt the 3.? earthquake we had around here a few months ago. It was very faint.
I was also in a 7.5 in Mexico City in 1957. Was coming home late from a party. Started to stagger, told my date, “But I only had 2 drinks”. He was from California, grabbed my hand and we ran for the center of the intersection. We clung to each other like we were on a fast moving subway. For weeks afterwards I would feel subtle tremors when I was lying down.