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

[Farseer]

Farseer, where are you at here in town. I am off of 9 mile rd and felt nothing...oh weather channel talking about it now.... they pretty much made a joke about it being the conversation today at the ball game...boy what an informative bunch they are...IMO

I live in a second story apartment on north 9th Ave. I didn't really notice it at first. There was a slight rumble feeling, but nothing any different then when a truck empties a dumpster for example. But, the shaking of my projector was a clue that something was different. The projector shook too much for outside construction or other such activity. So, I really thought it was just a distant sonic boom and didn't think anything of it. Then I saw the reports of the earthquake and put two and two together.

For those that didn't feel it, you probably did, but just didn't notice it. Think of the vibrations from heavy earth moving equipment, but without all of the noise, or a distant sonic boom. That's pretty close to what it felt like to me.

[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.

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

Possibly, but, it has been described this way by local scientists whenever we hear of Earthquakes in the SouthEast. Our structures suffer little consequence as the Earth absorbs the shock before the structures receive the shock.

[Opal storm]

I didn't feel anything here in P'cola,but around the time it occured I had my surround sound system on so my house was shaking anyway lol.I didn't know the Gulf was capable of a 6.0,I wonder if there will be any after shocks.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Here is a map of places it was felt:

[the_winds_that_sheared_me]

EARTHQUAKE REPORT...PRELIMINARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
1144 AM EDT SUN SEP 10 2006

...EARTHQUAKE FELT BY MANY IN NORTHEAST FLORIDA THIS MORNING...NO
DAMAGE REPORTED...

THE USGS REPORTED AN EARTHQUAKE OF 6.0 CENTER 260 MILES WEST
SOUTHWEST OF CLEARWATER FLORIDA. THIS OCCURRED AT 1056 AM.

SEVERAL REPORTS OF SHAKING AND RATTLING NOISES WERE REPORTED
ON THE WESTSIDE OF JACKSONVILLE. IN FLAGLER BEACH BUILDINGS HAVE
BEEN REPORTED TO BE SHAKING AND RATTLING.

Guess I'll sleep through anything

[Extremeweatherguy]

From WFTV in Orlando:

Gulf Quake Sends Tremors Throughout Central Florida

A strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday sent shockwaves from Louisiana to southwest Florida, but no damage was reported, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
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. tremor.
"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.
In Central Florida, tremors were felt all over this morning. Channel 9 Eyewitness News received reports from Orlando, Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Clermont, Kissimmee, Celebration, Cocoa, Meritt Island, Vero Beach, Palm Bay, Daytona Beach, Leesburg, Deltona, Lakeland, and Winter Garden.

[tracyswfla]

I felt it in Ft. Myers. Didn't say anything cause I didn't know there was an earthquake, just got home and read the reports. OMG how weird!

[Extremeweatherguy]

here is a more detailed article from local6.com:

http://www.local6.com/news/9817184/detail.html

[beachbum_al]

I didn't feel anything here but I did notice that my computer had shut itself down sometime last night. I wonder if this might had done it. Doubt it. Honestly with the noise and jumping that my kids make in the morning I probably wouldn't even know it.

[Aslkahuna]

Soft alluvium type soil is FAR more dangerous in an earthquake since it offers much less resistance to the shockwaves than does bedrock. Thus earthquakes will be felt over larger distances in the Eastern US than in the West. Think of it this way, hitting the side of a bowl filled with cement will result in less vibration than is hitting a bowl full of Jello with the same force where the cement represents bedrock and the Jello soft soil. Not only doe you get more vibration in the latter but they last longer.

Steve

[JonathanBelles]

i wouldnt be suprised it sink holes started opening up.

[Lindaloo]

I didn't feel a thing. Of course, if this happened while I was sleeping then that explains it. I slept through Hurricane Elena, if that tells you anything.

[TampaSteve]

I didn't feel a thing. Of course, if this happened while I was sleeping then that explains it. I slept through Hurricane Elena, if that tells you anything.

I slept through Isabel in 2003...no big deal...

[Sean in New Orleans]

Soft alluvium type soil is FAR more dangerous in an earthquake since it offers much less resistance to the shockwaves than does bedrock. Thus earthquakes will be felt over larger distances in the Eastern US than in the West. Think of it this way, hitting the side of a bowl filled with cement will result in less vibration than is hitting a bowl full of Jello with the same force where the cement represents bedrock and the Jello soft soil. Not only doe you get more vibration in the latter but they last longer.

Steve

Then why do scientists continually report that our structures are in nowhere near the danger as those out West? The explanation they give us is that the Earth absorbs the shock and it is of little consequence to our structures or anything else on the surface, for that matter....How does that make it more dangerous for us?? Are you saying that a solid rock will absorb more energy than softer soil with moisture that is willing to take the rocking effect??

[GalvestonDuck]

I thought it caused by all those heads dropping in shame at UCF.

*chomp!*

Seriously though, isn't that just a bit to the east of the Walker Ridge where the new oil was discovered?

Here is a map of places it was felt:

[Josephine96]

Folks.. I have 2 questions..

I'm not scared.. more like curious..

Is there going to be aftershocks? I'm guessing NO because I haven't heard any reports of them..

Also.. is a tsunami going to crash into Tampa/St Pete? I'm also guessing NO because they said it wasn't strong enough.. and I'm guessing it would have happened already...

Ok.. sorry.. Thank you BTW.. I think I felt it but I'm not sure.. The cart I was working on... mysteriously moved for a couple of seconds..

[Brent]

Folks.. I have 2 questions..

I'm not scared.. more like curious..

Is there going to be aftershocks? I'm guessing NO because I haven't heard any reports of them..

Also.. is a tsunami going to crash into Tampa/St Pete? I'm also guessing NO because they said it wasn't strong enough.. and I'm guessing it would have happened already...

Ok.. sorry.. Thank you BTW.. I think I felt it but I'm not sure.. The cart I was working on... mysteriously moved for a couple of seconds..

No, and no. If there was going to be either, they would have happened soon after the original shock.

As you can see here: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/ There hasn't been a single aftershock.

[HeeBGBz]

I'm just curious why there hasn't been any aftershocks. Seems like that is the norm after a fairly sizeable quake. Any guesses why there's not been any?

[JonathanBelles]

I'm just curious why there hasn't been any aftershocks. Seems like that is the norm after a fairly sizeable quake. Any guesses why there's not been any?

it was a mid tectonic plate earthquake. Also the earthquake was stress created by sediment from the mississippi river. Once the stress was released there was no more stress to create another earthquake. for this reason there were no aftershocks.

[Extremeweatherguy]

I'm just curious why there hasn't been any aftershocks. Seems like that is the norm after a fairly sizeable quake. Any guesses why there's not been any?

it was a mid tectonic plate earthquake. Also the earthquake was stress created by sediment from the mississippi river. Once the stress was released there was no more stress to create another earthquake. for this reason there were no aftershocks.

However, seismologists do believe later aftershocks could occur.