7.2 Earthquake Near San Diego

Ok my Easter blog was already long enough that I just couldn't add more onto it. It is very obvious that I don't just take a "few" pictures, I take a ton! So now that I am actually posting this on Monday, instead of Sunday, I will tell you about what happened yesterday, on Easter around 3:30 pm.

Darrin was going to take Reagan to the park for a little bit, but just before they left she started rubbing her eyes. Since they were all ready to go, he just decided to take her to the park here in the apartments. I was going to clean up and blog for a bit while they were gone. So off they went and I picked up, I got the laptop out and brought it into out living room. I opened up our blog and I then I started to feel a little weird. I thought I was having a heart attack or something. It was like my heart was beating fast and I was getting dizzy, I wasn't sure what was going on. I put my hands on the ground (because that's where I was sitting, on the floor) to see if it was me. Then I looked up and saw our fan sway and start rocking. I still was in shock of what was going on and I really don't know what I was thinking. I looked up and noticed the TV was swaying and this is when I realized we were having an earthquake. I grabbed my keys and phone, because they were sitting on the counter and ran downstairs to open the garage. (We have a single car garage that leads us up to our apartment. Once we come in the garage we then enter out apartment from our stairs. This is the only way we ever enter and leave the house, so that is what I am used to. We have a front door, but since we are always coming in the garage, we never us it.) So, I went the way I was used to. And it was stupid. Once I got down there is probably when the biggest quake came and I could see the garage sway. It was as if it wasn't going to open. For a split second I thought, "Oh no. The garage isn't going to open. I am going to be trapped down here. How long do I have to get out? I have to get back upstairs. But it opened and I ran out.

As soon as I got out I saw others in the parking lot who had came out from being inside. I tried to call Darrin but my phone didn't have a connection. Right about that time I saw Darrin running around the corner pulling Reagan in her wagon. For some reason I screamed Darrin, even though I knew he saw me. And all had stopped, everything was pretty much over. This was all just about a minute, it was so weird. It was like I was drunk and dizzy or like I was on a boat swaying back and forth. Darrin said while he was on the playground he felt it sway and thought it was his weight at first (so funny what you think sometimes) and then he heard a guy yell, "Earthquake!! Get your families out of the house!" And that's when he saw the building and trees sway before he came running over to see if I came out.

It honestly wasn't that scary during it. I guess just because it was only for about a minute from the start of the panic until realizing it was over. But afterwards I was upset. You just never really prepare yourself for those types of situations. I didn't even think to take anything with me, like personal belongings or things of sentimental value, I just ran out. (luckily I was dressed and had I bra on!) All that mattered during that time is that I get out to where Darrin and Reagan were.

But I can say I have been in a earthquake and now, and I think maybe I will know what to do a little better. Since the big one, we have had several tremors. I have felt a few of them and it makes me nervous. I feel like I don't know if I need to jump up and go, or wait to see if it is just a tremor.

Here are a few facts I have seen on the news:

• Measured at 7.2 magnitude
• 108 miles east of Tijuana, 40 miles south Mexico/USA border
• Biggest incident which struck the region in 18 years
• 2 people killed, several injured (around 100)
• After one hour of the earthquake as many as 20 aftershocks occurred

It's crazy to me that Haiti's earthquake was measured at a 7.0 and pretty much wiped out the country. Over 200,oo0 people killed, over 1 million homeless and over 3 million in need but because of the way our buildings are structured there was very little damage done. We did not have a single picture fall of the wall, a glass broken or even anything out of place. Not saying that I wish there was, but we have officially experienced our first earthquake and according to the scale, it was a big one!