Earthquake felt in Central FL!!!! (6.0 in the GOM)

[TampaSteve]

OK...so if this is the main shock, no problem...but if this is a precursor to a stronger quake...how strong before we have to worry about tsunami? I live almost at sea level (Dauphin Island)...so I'm not just playing around...

I believe there is no real danger of tsunami until you get up over magnitude 7. Remember, the quake that caused that deadly tsunami in 2004 was a 9.

[southerngale]

I felt nothing here . Ive always wanted to know what an earthquake feels like.

I was in SoCal back in 1994 for Northridge (and a whole year's worth of aftershocks)...not fun...this was nothing...

Well, it's something for those who have never felt anything like this before and wouldn't expect to, living in Florida!

[TampaFl]

Public Information Statement
000
NOUS42 KTBW 101623
PNSTBW

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
1225 PM EDT SUN SEP 10 2006

...EARTHQUAKE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO THIS MORNING...

THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGIC SURVEY REPORTS A 6.0 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE
OCCURRED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO...AT 1056 AM EDT. THE EPICENTER OF
THE QUAKE WAS AT LATITUDE 26.34 NORTH AND LONGITUDE 86.57
WEST...APPROXIMATELY 253 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF APALACHICOLA
FLORIDA OR APPROXIMATELY 257 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF SARASOTA
FLORIDA.

THE EARTHQUAKE WAS WEAKLY TO MODERATELY FELT BY NUMEROUS RESIDENTS
THROUGHOUT WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AT AROUND 11:00 AM
EDT.

AT THIS TIME THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPORTS OF DEATHS...INJURIES OR
PROPERTY DAMAGE.

INFORMATION RELEASED IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY. UPDATES
WILL BE PROVIDED AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE FROM THE
NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION CENTER IN GOLDEN COLORADO.

$$

RD/TD/JC

[TampaSteve]

I felt nothing here . Ive always wanted to know what an earthquake feels like.

I was in SoCal back in 1994 for Northridge (and a whole year's worth of aftershocks)...not fun...this was nothing...

Well, it's something for those who have never felt anything like this before and wouldn't expect to, living in Florida!

True...just be glad it wasn't a 6.0 centered in Orlando!

[kevin]

Now if only a volcanic island would form off the coast so I might claim it as sovereign territory.

[Brent]

I felt nothing here . Ive always wanted to know what an earthquake feels like.

I was in SoCal back in 1994 for Northridge (and a whole year's worth of aftershocks)...not fun...this was nothing...

Well, it's something for those who have never felt anything like this before and wouldn't expect to, living in Florida!

True...just be glad it wasn't a 6.0 centered in Orlando!

Oh yeah... defintely. A 6.0 on land would be really bad.

[Extremeweatherguy]

are they expecting aftershocks from this quake? Usually 6.0's have them right?

[Brent]

are they expecting aftershocks from this quake? Usually 6.0's have them right?

I'm guessing not because it's been 2 1/2 hours and not one has occurred. Usually by now dozens have happened.

[JonathanBelles]

what type of earthquake was it?

[Extremeweatherguy]

From the USGS:

This earthquake was centered beneath the Gulf of Mexico, well distant from the nearest active plate boundary. Such "midplate" earthquakes are much less common than earthquakes occurring on faults near plate boundaries, and most probably represent the release of long-term tectonic stresses that ultimately originate from forces applied at the plate boundary. This is the largest of more than a dozen shocks that have been instrumentally recorded from the eastern Gulf of Mexico in the past three decades, and it is the most widely felt. The most recent significant earthquake in the region occurred on February 10th, 2006 and had a magnitude of 5.2. We have not associated this earthquake with a specific causative fault. Earthquakes of this magnitude are unlikely to generate destructive tsunami. No significant tsunami was generated by this earthquake.

Seems like they are becoming more frequent. 2 of the dozen quakes have occurred this year alone! I wonder if an even larger event is to follow?

[HeeBGBz]

I didn't feel anything in Biloxi, but I'll be paying attention now.

[ChrisN4BSA]

Great - now, not only do we have to worry about our insurance being canceled because of hurricanes... Now the insurance companies will start saying we're an earthquake risk!

[snooksan]

I live in West Palm, and was upstairs.....Being Very Short of Breath, I leaned back against a wall right before 11 AM ......All of a sudden for a few seconds it felt like the floor was moving right to left......Having felt an Earthquake in S. Ill, I thought at the time " This feels like an earthquake"

Oh Well probably was my imagination being so far from the center of it..

Sandy

[stormtruth]

You probably felt it. It was felt for over 500 miles.

[JonathanBelles]

is there a radius of the reports or a picture of the reports?

[snooksan]

I doubt I would have felt anything If I hadn`t been leaning against the wall.

[JonathanBelles]

it was quite ironic. at a little after 11 a couple of my HURRICANE books fell over in my book case. lol

[Brent]

My dad says he felt it, but I didn't feel anything.

[Sean in New Orleans]

It's been reported that it was felt, as well, in SE Louisiana, but, I did not feel anything. For those out West, that don't really understand, we do live on softer soil io this side of the country (at least most of us do). The Earth is able to absorb Earthquakes much better in these regions than out West, which is practically all solid stone and the Earthquakes cause much more disruption to the surface of the ground.

[Stormavoider]

It's been reported that it was felt, as well, in SE Louisiana, but, I did not feel anything. For those out West, that don't really understand, we do live on softer soil io this side of the country (at least most of us do). The Earth is able to absorb Earthquakes much better in these regions than out West, which is practically all solid stone and the Earthquakes cause much more disruption to the surface of the ground.

Actually, I think, bedrock is a safer place to be in an earthquake than soft substrate.