Forgive me if I chuckle.
There are no reported injuries, so I have to giggle that an earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale is something to talk about in Sycamore, Illinois — then again, everyone in Southern California was up in arms two weeks ago because a tornado peeked out of the clouds in Orange County.
This morning, right around 4 a.m. local time, an earthquake struck about 45 miles west of Chicago, sending the seismic wave throughout the state and into southern Wisconsin. It woke residents, shook a few books off of shelves and even got one older fella slapped, because his wife thought he farted under the covers.
I always laugh when people point a finger at us in California and boast, “I wouldn’t live there, ’cause of all the earthquakes. California is going to break off and sink into the sea.” I’m continuously confused as to how that could actually happen, but true enough, we do have frequent earthquakes…and over 300 days of sunshine annually. I always like to point the finger back from where I came, the Missouri Midwest, and rebut, “Do you people realize that you’ve set up camp on the New Madrid Fault line?” I know they do — it’s just easier to call the kettle black.
Earthquakes may be poppin’ more frequently along the San Andreas, but let’s get right down to brass tacks. The Dekalb-, Sycamore-, Chicago-ish earthquake rumbling this morning, is something I’d be far more concerned about. Wanna talk biggies? Let’s rewind to 1811-1812: Northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri — four quakes within a two month period put the smack down on the region, measuring approximately 7.2-8.2 in magnitude (no scale back then), made the Mississippi River run in reverse and reportedly rang church bells in New York City and Boston.
I don’t know about you fine folks along the mighty Mississippi, but I’ll take occasional seismic indigestion over 200 years of seismic constipation, any day of the week!
(Image via: Richard Seaman)
Where you in Chicago when the quake happend?
it’s definately something to keep an eye on… one in 2008, now today-does it mean it’s getting more active? if a major earthquake hits the midwest it will be much more catastrophic than california-there are at least mountains there to absorb the earthquakes, while midwest is FLAT.
Hmmmm… I grew up in the midwest. A sizable earthquake might just significantly improve the Kansan landscape. Bring it!
So, let me get this straight….you’re chuckling because a potentially more deadly fault than your illustrious San Andreas Fault had a rumble of discontent that could have potentially been a devastating shout of destruction. “The Dekalb, Sycamore, Chicagoish earthquake rumbling this morning, is something I’d be far more concerned about…” you say? And you’re chuckling?
Wow. That’s kind of jerky thing to say.
Satire: noun – the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
So long as it’s only kind of jerky
i think japan is homeless now im scared if a earthquake will happen in dekalb because thats where i live in dekalb