Shake Rattle and Roll

Today, I experienced my first earthquake out in the Northwest. It isn't that we haven't had any out here since we moved, but I just never noticed any. But today's small quake woke me up.

The quake measured at only 4.6 in severity. It happened at about 5:25 a.m. in a town southwest of us called Kingston.

I didn't really feel the quake, but the armoire in my bedroom did. The doors started to shake like a big mac truck was driving by the house. But there was no truck and it shook steadily for about 15 seconds... which is pretty long if you count it out. Tracy was sleeping like a baby. When the armoire stopped shaking, it occurred to me that it must have been a quake. Weird thought. I went to the bathroom and went back to bed.

When we got up in the morning, I told Tracy I thought we had a quake. He didn't seem convinced. I was relieved when I heard about it at work - proof that I am not going crazy :)

Here are a couple local TV stations coverage of the quake:

Puzzling details of Friday's earthquake [watch video]

4.5 quake rattles Puget Sound [watch video]

We have had bigger and closer quakes since we lived here but I have never really experienced any of them. Our bedroom is on the second floor in our new house, and I wonder if that might be why. Crazy to think that we might experience a bad earthquake here in the future. Kinda scary. But I suppose it is no different than the risk of a tornado, huricane or flood. Can't hide from mother nature anywhere now a'days.