Feature Article April 24, 2002
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I feel the earth under my feetby David BrisonA moderate earthquake surprised many of our area residents at about 6:50 a.m. on Saturday April 20. Many slept through it or thought it was something else: possibly a large truck driving by, or a fire. My wife and I both thought that it might be a fire and bolted downstairs to look at the wood stoves. It then occurred to us that it was an earthquake.
Gray Merriam, the first person I called (for some unknown reason I thought a landscape ecologist might know about such things), was up and thought he heard a strange noise, but put it down to a yellow-bellied sap sucker who had been coming near the house and tapping.
I decided to call some of our staff and volunteers in order to check on their experiences with the moving earth and shaking buildings. Of the 18 people I contacted, seven had no knowledge that there was an earthquake, although most of them were awake; six knew that something had happened but didnt know what it was (Gray is in this category); and five figured out right away that it was an earthquake.
Zealand reporter Jean Lewis and husband Glenn were in bed, along with their 70 lb. dog. The dog started barking, and they noticed that something was wrong. They too figured it might be a fire (even though it was warm and no fire was on) so they ran into the kitchen, where they were joined by the dog and the cat. They all arrived in the kitchen at the same time. The four of them couldnt figure out what it was and didnt find out until Glenn and Jean went to church
Don St. Pierre felt it and knew what it was. He has a theory that earthquakes like to shake up the Ottawa Valley. He recalls that he experienced an earthquake when he was six or seven. His bed was on coasters, and he rolled from one side of the room to the other.
The quake that rattled the area had a magnitude of 5.5. The epicentre was about 25 kilometres south of Plattsburgh, New York and some damage to roads, bridges, and foundations were noted in that area. However, the damage was not extensive. I have not heard of any damage in this area not even any dishes falling off shelves.
The Geological Survey of Canada reports that there were two aftershocks, the first had a reading of 4.2 and the second about 3. I didnt talk to anyone who noticed those aftershocks, although several people said they were watching (listening? feeling?) for them.
