Micro-quake in my Texas town today

I was out and about today and experienced my first earthquake. There was a vibration in the ground and an audible boom. I thought something had exploded nearby but learned later that it was actually an earthquake with the epicenter 3 miles directly beneath my feet. Here is the report from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.


Small earthquake rattles Cleburne
By ANDREW CHAVEZSpecial to the Star-Telegram


What Cleburne officials first thought was a sonic boom Tuesday afternoon turned out to be a micro earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

No buildings were damaged and no injuries were reported, city spokesman Charlie Hodges said.

The epicenter of the quake, which was magnitude 2.8, was in west Cleburne near the intersection of Woodard and Glen Rose avenues and at a depth of a little more than 3 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A magnitude 2.8 quake fits into the agency’s lowest category of micro quakes.

...

http://www.star-telegram.com/state_news/story/1410514.html

I don't live in an earthquake area so other explanations came to mind. They were two different types. The first was a long, slow shake...my son and I were watching Jeopardy and both thought the other was somehow jiggling the couch though neither of us was doing any jiggling.

Several years later there was a loud noise and a jolt. I thought a truck had somehow slammed into my house (though no street faces my house). I looked and nothing had hit. I still didn't think earthquake...I thought my big old furnace must have somehow fallen over. Don't ask me how.

Until the news said earthquake that simple answer didn't occur to me.

I wish our earthquakes stories were as serious as earthquakes ever got.

I told my son to stop kicking his leg under the table.

"Mom, I'm not jiggling my leg!"

The next time was a 6.8. I ran upstairs and out of the house because the heavy rattling noise made me think our furnace was about to explode. Outside, I noticed that the ground was waving -- the "solid" ground was waving like water. And the next five minutes seemed like forever.