guys in earthquake areas

[TwoInch]

i was under a car today, supported by jackstands and a floor jack, and for some odd reason, i thought about earthquakes. i have never experienced an earthquake that was anymore than barely noticeable, so i cant really say how much the earth moves back and forth horizontally.

do you guys on the west coast ever think about this stuff when you crawl under a car thats only supported on jackstands? i understand that big quakes are not that common, but some areas have smaller ones fairly commonly right? i think san diego has magnitude 3 and 4s like on a weekly basis.

anyone out that way have to deal with stuff like this? something spiked my interest.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

L.A. has smaller ones constantly. I can't even notice anything smaller than a 4.0 unless I'm standing/sitting totally still.

I never think about it while under the car but I HAVE thought about it when I've been in the crawl space under my house! It was NOT bolted to the foundation originally but that was "fixed" (I hope) before I bought it in late '99.

My house dates from 1926 and there were no seismic codes before the Long Beach quake out here in '33 (6.4). It even survived the Whitter Narrows quake of '87 (5.9) which caused $25,000 damage to my then-Whittier home. It also survived Northridge in '94 (6.7) and that one was nasty.

 

[ZRX61]

Anything 4.0 & below isn't noticeable.

 

[Steevo]

I was born and raised in So Calif., and the frequency of minor temblors renders you a bit immune to worrying about "what if" scenarios. However, I think I'd panic laying on my back on a creeper under a heavy vehicle when a real quake hit.
As for how violent they can be, I remember very well the Northridge quake, which was particularly "jagged" in its sensation of harsh, quick, juddering movements. I would probably piss myself if that kind of shaking happened when I was under a car.

I later moved to San Jose, CA, and experienced the Loma Prieta quake from that locale.
I now reside in Sacramento, which is rather lacking in earthquakes, but my second home and retirement destination is within spitting distance of the biggest super-volcano and active caldera in North America (Yellowstone).

 

[TwoInch]

Anything 4.0 & below isn't noticeable.

good to know. i am in indiana, so we dont get anything but, barely noticeable maybe once in ten years i would guestimate. im sure i could find facts, but ehh...

 

[spongerich]

When I lived in LA, I used to have those same thoughts. Having been through a number of large quakes, I always used jack stands, plus a floor jack and if I was going to be under there for more than an oil change, I'd stack up some lumber too...

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

First thing I thought about after Northridge was, "What the HELL is it going to be like when 'THe Big One' hits?"

For those back east, THE BIG ONE is generally projected be in the 8.0+ range. If that happens when people are in old masonry buildings out here, its going to be VERY bad.

 

[TwoInch]

I was born and raised in So Calif., and the frequency of minor temblors renders you a bit immune to worrying about "what if" scenarios. However, I think I'd panic laying on my back on a creeper under a heavy vehicle when a real quake hit.
As for how violent they can be, I remember very well the Northridge quake, which was particularly "jagged" in its sensation of harsh, quick, juddering movements. I would probably piss myself if that kind of shaking happened when I was under a car.

I later moved to San Jose, CA, and experienced the Loma Prieta quake from that locale.
I now reside in Sacramento, which is rather lacking in earthquakes, but my second home and retirement destination is within spitting distance of the biggest super-volcano and active caldera in North America (Yellowstone).

yeah i can see being immune to the worry for the most part. i am not sure what made me even think about it here. just looked up at all that steel, that was totally secure, and realized "how secure is this really?" we take for granted that the ground, is so "ground like" and doesnt pull anything tricky here. i just couldnt imagine feeling comfortable somewhere on the west coast near a fault, and having 3000lbs a foot above my head, on two easily toppled jack stands. i know there are a million situations that are hazardous when the ground might jerk around at any moment. just something about a car falling on me has always stuck in my mind. probably a good thing tho... keep me safe.

thanks for the replys guys. does remind me to get out west soon tho!

 

[TwoInch]

When I lived in LA, I used to have those same thoughts. Having been through a number of large quakes, I always used jack stands, plus a floor jack and if I was going to be under there for more than an oil change, I'd stack up some lumber too...

anytime i pull a tire, or both off, i immediately slide them under the frame also, just a tad extra insurance(in my head)

your response is what i was thinking people would probably be doing. extra insurance.

 

[ZRX61]

As for how violent they can be, I remember very well the Northridge quake, which was particularly "jagged" in its sensation of harsh, quick, juddering movements.

I woke up about 3ft above the bed, luckily it was still under me when I landed, reached over the nightstand & found myself touching the TV... which until just a few seconds before had been 15ft away on the other side of the room...

 

[larryv]

Nope!

 

[blasto9000]

I was in university in Pomona when the Northridge quake hit. Even from 60 miles away it was a wild ride. My folks lived within 15 miles of the epicenter, and their house got rocked. Their house got a strong east-west motion: Everything on the east and west walls of the house fell down, and everything on the north and south walls just rolled back and forth.

If I were under a car and felt the side to side you can bet I'd be out from underneath it in a jiffy. I'd fill my shorts later.

Everything in my shop now is bolted to the floor or to the walls, and wall lockers have latched doors. Wouldn't want a 15 lb. angle plate to fall on my mill table, my car, or my head...

 

[Highbeam]

When it's time, it's time.

 

[Falcon67]

With my old company, I've been to Southwest Research many times helping with seismic tests on equipment. If the earth places forces on houses and moves like the shake table does - I would not want to be near a lift when a sizable one starts up. I forget the levels we were testing, but I think we were in the 20g acceleration area.

Some interesting data - something easier to understand than the Richter Scale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercalli_intensity_scale

A typical shake test on a misc piece of equipment:

 

[Charliekilo]

We on the left coast have a lot of them but it is not just a west coast thing.
Look here. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/

 

[Krash Kadillak]

Generally, you are going to have at least a few seconds when it first starts to get out from under a car before 'a big one' really gets rolling.......and if you've got things hanging in the garage, or it is rather rickity, get outside in a hurry.

I was in bed in West L.A. when the '71 quake hit early in the A.M. Sounded and felt like a freight train was coming through the apartment buiding I was living in.

 

[Jack Olsen]

You think about it when you're stuck in traffic underneath a freeway overpass. I lived near where two of them collapsed during the Northridge quake. A lot of weight, there -- which I guess means the end would be quick.

I don't leave my car with the lift in the up position because of the possibility of a quake. But I think you adjust to the actual likelihood of a big one when you're working under the car. All of us stand the risk of getting slammed when we're thinking about it the least.

Case in point:

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wgfaNGlp1ZI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Falcon67]

>Case in point:
Wow - Last week a double tire came off the back of a 18 wheeler trailer going down I-20 east and smashed into a pickup at the Fina in our little town. People had just got out of the truck and gone inside. Thing was going about 70 when it hit the truck. Tore up the truck good. Then went another 500' or so before giving up.

 

[Ray-CA]

I usually leave one of the wheels/tires that I take off under the car, near where I'll be working. If I don't do that, I have a "cube" of 2x4's built up that is about 16-inches high. I'll slide that around and keep it near by while under the vehicle.

Couple of others thing I do. Make sure that I let my wife know when I'm under a vehicle and keep a cell-phone where I can get to it.

Ray

 

[mjb]

Figured I would post some pics of something familiar to many of us. These are from the 7.0 on Easter 2010.

This is the Sam's Club in Mexicali which was around 20 miles from the epicenter.

No, I wouldn't want to be under anything at that time.

 

[mmhouse]

Yes, I've definitely thought about it. I can't say that I worried too much but it has certainly crossed my mind. When I'm working with jack stands I typically leave my pump jack(s) in place as well as secondary support should something happen. Hopefully if a quake would strike that would give me time to get out.

I've experienced a couple of types of quakes. The first being the type that slowly builds and then slowly dissipates. That type gives a person time to think and react. The second type comes out of nowhere and feels more like a train striking the building you are in. That's the kind that would cause problems if you were under a car on jack stands.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Figured I would post some pics of something familiar to many of us. These are from the 7.0 on Easter 2010.

This is the Sam's Club in Mexicali which was around 20 miles from the epicenter.

No, I wouldn't want to be under anything at that time.

Granted, I've never experienced an earthquake, but that's nowhere near the damage I would've expected from a 7.0.

 

[TwoInch]

Figured I would post some pics of something familiar to many of us. These are from the 7.0 on Easter 2010.

This is the Sam's Club in Mexicali which was around 20 miles from the epicenter.

No, I wouldn't want to be under anything at that time.

scratch and dent sale!!