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Thursday 28 January 2016

Did the earth move for you!

Well it did for me ..... and no, this isn't going to be an embarrassing conversation that can't be discussed in polite company!

This is about earthquakes!

We were woken on Monday morning at 5.22am by the bed shaking....I mean REALLY shaking!  It was such a rude awakening, especially when it's pitch black outside and your bed is violently rocking from side to side and the noise....the weirdest sounds of things clanging together.  I admit that I was terrified!   This was my first experience of an earthquake but not my last.

It turns out that this earthquake was  6.3 magnitude according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and injured at least 26 people in the Spanish enclave of Melilla.  It's epicentre was located in the Alboran Sea, between southern Spain and North Africa according to data from the National Geographic Institute, approximately 100 miles south east of Malaga.  The effects were felt all across Andalucia. 

If you want to see what it was like, here is a short film clip from You Tube:



Below:  cleaning up after the earthquake...photo from the local paper.
CLEAN UP: Melilla resident survey's earthquake damage


Since the earthquake struck on Monday morning there have been more than 160 aftershocks  registered in Malaga.

One of the largest, measuring 4.4 on the Richter Scale, hit on Monday evening.

Although experts have said there is a ‘low’ risk of serious earthquakes in the Alboran Sea, they said it was impossible to predict if there would be more in the coming days.  Well let me tell you, there have!  Again yesterday morning at about 7.30 we were woken by the bed shaking, admittedly not as bad as Monday morning but still scary all the same. 

I have to admit that my nerves have been a bit frazzled.  I have never experienced earthquakes before this and it is not the 'fun' experience I might have thought it would be when I was young!  Every loud noise or bang, I admit, has made me jump and hold my breath whilst my stomach has done a flip like I'm riding a roller coaster at the fun fair! 

Fortunately though, we received no damage.  Two of my dolls decided to do a flip off my shelf but luckily neither were hurt in any way.   :)   But Mango, our Blue Headed Pionus parrot has fallen off his perch each time there was another rumble, poor boy!  None of the dogs seem particularly bothered though, thank goodness!

OK, now back to dollies!  ..... I hope! :) 







16 comments:

  1. Oh my! I'm glad to know you and your dolls are okay~ Earthquakes can be a scary thing (I've experienced several minor ones and 2 big ones)

    I'm so used to earthquakes because Chile gets a lot of that. For the earthquake of 2010 we had so many aftershocks that one was never too sure if it was the earth moving or just your legs shaking. That sensation lasted me a few weeks! Luckily for me, my city is built to withstand earth movements so most of the time it doesn't get too serious and since we get them so often it's not scary for me now unless the movement is too much (6 and up maybe?).

    Stay safe! Follow the security procedures of your country and keep calm ~ I hope there isn't any big ones anymore for you. Or anyone really.

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    1. Thank you very much! I think you're very brave being able to put up with earthquakes on a regular basis, I have to say I was a nervous wreck last week, every loud noise or movement and my stomach went to my throat!
      I think that those that are still happening here are very small ones and they say that they'll happen for a few more weeks yet but as long as we don't have any more biggies I'm fine with that....I think!!! ;)
      xxx

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  2. Glad you and yours are oaky and please take care of yourself x

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    1. Thanks very much Ronny! All is safe and well here thank goodness.
      xxx

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  3. I'm glad to hear that you are all well and had not damages, earthquake are dangerous and scary.

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    1. Thanks Daniela, it certainly was a lot different from the Earthquake ride at Universal Studios in Florida!!! ;)
      xxx

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  4. Glad you are all well and no damage. I must say I have never thought of Spain to have earthquakes but then again there's been the odd very tiny one in parts of the UK. Your's looked quite worrying with the amount of movement, when it's happen you don't know just what damage or how bad it will be.
    How did the dogs feel about it? did it worry them?
    Glad it's over and everything settling back down... I hope .. :) xx

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    1. Thanks very much Dee. I knew that southern Spain was an earthquake zone but I also thought they were few and far between...well they are really, it's just that they all came at once and then there are the after shocks...I had never given them a thought. I think it's settling down now and anything more will just be small I hope, as the plates settle back into place I guess.
      The Chihuahuas didn't seem to be in the least bit bothered, except for the fact that they were disturbed by us putting the lights on and getting up, but Lucy our Miniature Pinscher was not amused, not so much by the earth tremors but by Mango the parrot flapping about..she hates him and anything he does that she thinks he shouldn't be doing, so she was barking her head off. But then so were all the neighbourhood dogs it would seem!!! (Except thankfully for our 4 Chis!!)
      xxx

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  5. Oh Sharon, how nerve wracking I only remeber one, when I was in my teens and not as strong as that. Hope your poor bird gets over his ordeal.
    Was there any human reason for the quakes?
    Take care.
    J xxxxxx

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    1. Thanks Jenni, Mango doesn't seem to be adversly affected by the earthquakes and is his usual chirpy chatty self! Thank goodness.
      No, the quakes were just on the fault in the Alberon Sea which is part of the Mediterranean, so no human fault at all.
      xxx

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  6. I'm so glad you are alright and suffered no damage in any way!

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  7. Dear Sharon, I am so glad you're okay!! I would have been scared too especially if it happened at night! Sending big hugs to you! :) XXX

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    1. Thanks so much Ginger. Yes, happening at night when everything was so dark and still did seem to make it seem worse I think. And to be awaken so 'violently' too, it was just such a shock! Thank you for the big hugs!
      xxx

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  8. So pleased that you and your pets survived this ordeal without any damage. Hoping that the aftermarth clear up has now been cleared and sorted and that things are back to normal.

    We had a small one a year or so ago here in Stoke-on-Trent which was also briefly felt in Alsager, Cheshire where I live but luckily all my dolls managed to hold their standing positions on the various shelves etc. around the bungalow and it was only me in my bed that felt the movement.

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    1. Thanks Kendal. I know that the government have promised a hefty sum of money to the people who's houses were damaged in the Spanish enclave of Melilla as they were the worse affected. I believe that 200 homes were quite seriously damaged there but fortunately no serious injuries.
      Yes, I believe that there are several in the UK each year but they are usually small, thank goodness, so you might not feel them. It's certainly the weirdest sensation. And when Brendan was saying to me "Oh mum! How cool, I would have loved to have been there...." I had to quickly say that until I felt them, I would have said the same...now I think I'd prefer not to experience them again!
      xxx

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