#Earthquake in SE/PA
18 messages in this thread
FM> I think we just had a earthquake in south east PA ,about an hour ago
FM> I felt a slight movement and just now I REALLY felt a 5 to 10 second
FM> movement.
There were two PA quakes reported on the noon news here in Tucson – as an
afterthought to the CA quake news, of course.
If anybody is interested in official USGS reports of stuff like that, they are
often loaded onto my BBS within 1-2 days of events. I am willing to post them
here if asked to, but I don't want to waste the bandwidth if nobody wants to
see them.
I expect to see a LOT of traffic in the next few (post-Northridge earthquake)
days <sad grin>. Hope everybody _you_ know made it through – I have an on-line
friend who works for LA County HazMat who hasn't been on-line since this
morning at least…..
Yours in freedom,
-=< Angus Scott-Fleming >=-
GeoApplications
Tucson, Arizona
* TANSTAAFL * Seismology meeting adjourned by a motion from the floor!
Considering the power outages (200,000 plus homes) I doubt you'll hear from
him soon.
Down here in San Diego nothing of import occurred other than the obligatory
political grandstanding. I hate politicians!
Mark
MED> Considering the power outages (200,000 plus homes) I doubt you'll
MED> hear from him soon.
I've heard 400k to 500k, but even so, but it would be nice to know ….
MED> Down here in San Diego nothing of import occurred other than the
MED> obligatory political grandstanding. I hate politicians!
A few taglines:
POLITICS (n) poly (many) + tics (blood sucking parasites).
Politicians & diapers should be changed often & for the same reasons
What this world needs is more unemployed politicians!!
Taxachusetts has the best politicians money can buy.
Lawyer: the larval form of Politician
Crime does not pay . . . . as well as politics.
Bedfellows make strange politicians.
An honest politician is one who, when bought, stays bought.
After the lawyers are all dead, kill the Politicians!
But if it weren't for the politicians, we might all be kowtowing to the feudal
lords or crime bosses.
Yours in freedom,
-=< Angus Scott-Fleming >=-
GeoApplications
Tucson, Arizona
MED> Considering the power outages (200,000 plus homes) I doubt you'll hear
MED> from him soon.
Actually I heard from him yesterday. Seems his area wasn't affected too badly,
although for a short time he couldn't get through to CIS. I think things are
much _better_ there than the national media would have us believe.
Yours in freedom,
-=< Angus Scott-Fleming >=-
GeoApplications
Tucson, Arizona
Being a proponent of liberty you also understand the nature of news sales. If
a news organization went about reporting on houses that *didn't* fall they
would soon be selling something else.
I am a structural engineer (besides being a radical Whig) and can state that
things *are* pretty bad up there. Not that I think the government should pay
for repairs. I am not so zealous, though, that I don't mind underwriting low
interest loans.
These people (me included since I live in San Diego) must accept the fact
that they have assumed some risk by living in an area of seismic hazard.
Which leads to the subject of earthquake insurance. I consider it a large
scale ripoff. The deductibles exceed $10000. Self-insurance would probably as
good or better considering the low probability of damage to individual homes
exceeding the deductible by more than the future value of the premiums.
Modern homes if constructed of wood with plywood or particle board shear
walls offers excellent energy dissipation and stiffness. Most people should
self insure.
Mark
Hi, Mark–
I figure that is good advice about self-insuring against earthquakes. People
should note that does not simply mean go without insurance – to do it right
implies setting some money aside in a shaky-day fund, perhaps the money you
would otherwise have paid for quake insurance.
–Doug
I have self-insured for years by taking ski trips with the money! Not a great
idea. Now that I am an adult, at age 40, I can begin to act responsibly.
(Before my kids grow up like me!)
Mark
MD> Being a proponent of liberty you also understand the nature of news
MD> sales. If a news organization went about reporting on houses that
MD> *didn't* fall they would soon be selling something else.
Short-term you're right. Long-term, though, I tend to go to the news source
which reports (my perception <g>) of the Truth. Network news is falling down
big-time here IMO. And since govt. policies to spend our tax money end up
being based on the mass media, this _is_ a problem.
MD> I am a structural engineer (besides being a radical Whig) and can
MD> state that things *are* pretty bad up there. Not that I think the
MD> government should pay for repairs. I am not so zealous, though, that
MD> I don't mind underwriting low interest loans.
I do. Which is why the govt. shouldn't be doing it. If the govt. didn't do it
then people like you could band together voluntarily and pool your money in a
private charity to support this particular cause that you believe in. I'll
volunteer my charity money where _I_ think it belongs, thank you very much.
MD> These people (me included since I live in San Diego) must accept the
MD> fact that they have assumed some risk by living in an area of seismic
MD> hazard. Which leads to the subject of earthquake insurance. I
MD> consider it a large scale ripoff. The deductibles exceed $10000.
MD> Self-insurance would probably as good or better considering the low
MD> probability of damage to individual homes exceeding the deductible by
MD> more than the future value of the premiums.
You pays your money (or not) and you takes your chances. I feel sorry for
those who chose to live with no insurance, but they chose to live there and put
their money into other things, like a nicer house than they could live in
otherwise, or better cars or more meals at restaurants or whatever. There's
always Chapter 7 for those who made these bad gambles.
If'n I had to live in CA, _I'd_ sure consider the $400-$500/year a reasonable
expense, but then I'm a geologist by training <g> and I carry lots of insurance
on the rest of my life too. Same deal applies to rebuilding houses at
government expense for those without flood insurance in Arizona last winter or
in the midwest. Why the h*ll should all of us be forced to pay for the
mistakes of a few in choosing where they live? (Sorry, this is a sore spot on
my libertarian hide!)
Yours in freedom,
-=< Angus Scott-Fleming >=-
GeoApplications
Tucson, Arizona
* Capitalism without bankruptcy is like Christianity without Hell *
You're right about loans. The government shouldn't be a substitute for
common sense and responsibility. Welfare is the new opiate.
I don't think you'ld really consider that money worth it considering the true
liklihood of damage exceeding the deductible – they all exceed $10000. There
are a few places where it may have some value but, in general, it is a low
risk, high profit product of the insurance companies.
Mark
MD> You're right about loans. The government shouldn't be a substitute
MD> for common sense and responsibility. Welfare is the new opiate.
Yeah, and "provide for the general welfare" has been extended to "provide for
individual's welfare" without thinking about where the incentive to provide for
yourself goes when charity becomes a "right".
MD> I don't think you'ld really consider that money worth it considering
MD> the true liklihood of damage exceeding the deductible – they all
MD> exceed $10000. There are a few places where it may have some value
MD> but, in general, it is a low risk, high profit product of the
MD> insurance companies.
Maybe so, but for the Ins.Cos., it's closer to an all-or-nothing situation.
Not like Major Medical insurance, where there will be a certain statistical
number of payouts out of the pool of insured people. When a quake (or other
natural disaster) hits, the entire area has large losses. Witness Hurricane
Andrew in Dade County, Florida. What really frosts _me_ is the Feds going in
and rebuilding Homestead with tax $$$ when it was slated to be closed. Any
business working with money it was responsible for would have seized that
opportunity to walk away instead of sinking $$$ into a wasted cause….but the
Feds don't care about taxpayer pockets, they're infinitely deep <g>.
I carry MM ins, BTW, and pay my own small medical expenses as part of living.
But I don't want to be wiped out in the event of a major medical expense.
Likewise I'd be willing to lose 10k to 20k of my equity in order to pay off the
balance of my loan in the event of a quake. But many people would rather NOT
take responsibility for their decisions (a) in borrowing money for houses; or
(b) in choosing to live in dangerous areas (floodplains, barrier islands,
earthquake-prone areas). Instead they'd rather defer to the banks who loaned
the money to them. On the flip side of this coin IMO any bank which would
permit a mortgagor to borrow without enough insurance is asking for trouble
itself <grin> so maybe Chapter 7 isn't such a Bad Thing for people who borrowed
from such banks – the banks will pay for _their_ poor judgment.
Yours in freedom,
-=< Angus Scott-Fleming >=-
GeoApplications
Tucson, Arizona
* TANSTAAFL * I'd rather be dead than domesticated. Poul Andersen
Yes, I would like to see more seismo information on CIS.
Can you give us the number of your BBS? The Geo Survey BBS in Menlo Park has
only had 3 logins all day! I'm beginning to wonder where evewryones at!
Hi, Dave–
Welcome to the forum/section!
In this forum's library is Angus' upload of GEOINF.ZIP about the GeoInfo
network and INTERN.TXT about the rocks-and-fossils mail-list on the Internet.
–Doug
DV> Yes, I would like to see more seismo information on CIS.
There were about 40 posts in the GeoEvents echo last night on the CA quake,
I'll ZIP 'em and post em here as CQKJ18.EXE (a self-extracting ZIP containing
messages received by Jan. 18, 1994). I'll try to continue to post CQKJxx.EXE
for each day or so.
DV> Can you give us the number of your BBS? The Geo Survey BBS in Menlo
DV> Park has only had 3 logins all day! I'm beginning to wonder where
DV> evewryones at!
GeoApplications Precambrian BBS: 602-881-5836, 2400-14,400 24 hrs.
There was only one post on the PA quake, so I'll include it here in this
message:
Origin: GEOAPPS – 0005 – GeoEvents
To: ALL
From: TED SMITH
Date: 01/17/94
Re: Pennsylvania earthquake
————————————————————————
To: ALL
Subject: Pennsylvania earthquake
PHILADELPHIA (UPI) — Two earthquakes hit eastern Pennsylvania on
Saturday night, and one was the worst to rock the state since records
have been kept.
The two minor earthquakes were centered near Reading, Pennsylvania,
about 85 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
The first hit at 7:43 p.m. EST and registered 4.0 on the Richter
scale, according to the National Earthquake Information Center in
Golden, Colorado. The second came at 8:49 p.m. EST and measured 4.6.
"As near as we can tell," the second quake was the worst in the
state's history, John Minsch, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological
Survey, said Sunday. There may have been worse temblors before the
Richter scale was developed, he said, but there are no reliable records.
No injuries and only minor damage, such as cracked walls and road
surfaces, were reported.
The tremors were felt as far south as Washington, D.C., and as far
north as New York City and even Toronto. Police departments throughout
eastern Pennsylvania reported numerous phone calls from worried
residents, alarmed by the shaking china, falling pictures, and other
signs of the geological disturbances.
—
* QMPro 1.51 * I poured Spot remover on my dog, and now he's gone.
* TNet 3.90 = GeoInfo * CDMG ONLINE * Sacramento, CA * (916) 327-1208
<*>
Yours in freedom,
-=< Angus Scott-Fleming >=-
GeoApplications
Tucson, Arizona
Hi, Angus–
Thanks, those sound like some dog-gone good and johnny-on-the-spot uploads,
which will be most welcome! But as EXE's they will be frustrating for users of
Macs and other sorts of computers. ZIP and ARC are more widely usable forms.
There is a small freeware ARCA.ARC for ARChiving files (and freeware ARC-E.COM
for extracting it and other ARCs) in IBMSYS forum's library – that ancient ARC
format may not be the most efficient, but can be dearchived on the widest
variety of computers.
–Doug
DM> Thanks, those sound like some dog-gone good and johnny-on-the-spot
DM> uploads, which will be most welcome! But as EXE's they will be
DM> frustrating for users of Macs and other sorts of computers. ZIP and
DM> ARC are more widely usable forms. There is a small freeware ARCA.ARC
DM> for ARChiving files (and freeware ARC-E.COM for extracting it and
DM> other ARCs) in IBMSYS forum's library – that ancient ARC format may
DM> not be the most efficient, but can be dearchived on the widest
DM> variety of computers.
OK, I just uploaded a CQKJ19.EXE, with last nights messages, too. I was doing
_you_ a favor by uploading things as EXEs since you don't have PKZIP 2.04 yet.
Forgot about (ignored?) those poor old Mac owners. I'll re-send CQKJ18 and J19
as .ARCs made with some form of archiver and future ones will be .ARCs. I
registered PKPAK 3.61, if that's not OK I guess I'll have to find ARCA
somewhere but I don't really want to <grin>.
Yours in freedom,
-=< Angus Scott-Fleming >=-
GeoApplications
Tucson, Arizona
* TANSTAAFL * Thesaurus: Ancient reptile with a vocabulary.
Not only Mac owners, but Amiga owners such as me, as well. 😎
M
Angus::
The files that you uploaded the other day have been downloaded an average of 8
times!
Thanks/Rick Needham/SYSOP
ps: I'm giving you some "publicity" in our opening bulletin.
Hi, Angus–
I have read CQKJ18 with great interest and will download 19 and 20 on this
pass; thanks!
–Doug