Those quakes had been happening for months in Irving, but it wasn't until this past week that they became strong enough for people throughout the region to feel them. It had everybody buzzing and worrying if there is "a big one" to worry about. The experts say fret not.
My first earthquake experience came almost ten years ago. I was on vacation in San Francisco. It had been a busy day of sightseeing so I was reclining on the bed late that particular afternoon. I was almost asleep when I felt a weird vibration. This wasn't a two-bit hotel with those magic finger mattresses. I wondered, was that an earthquake? I'd never felt one.
I looked out the window and saw other people looking out the window and coming outside. Indeed it was a quake. As I recall the epicenter was well over one-hundred miles away. Still, it was exciting and a little scary.
On Tuesday of this past week I was sitting at my desk working on some reporter field gear when I heard a rumble and felt the building shake a little bit. I didn't think much of it. The offices at Victory Park next to the AAC often rumble when they adjust the moveable video boards or if they're doing work on the roof. Heck, the place sometimes shakes when the HVAC system kicks on.
It took just seconds to realize this was more than the norm. People came streaming out into the hallway asking whether that was an earthquake. After a call to the US Geological Survey it was confirmed. We'd felt a 3.5 magnitude earthquake. The epicenter was near the old Texas Stadium site in Irving in the same general area that had been shaken by much lesser quakes since before Christmas.
Fast forward to that evening. I'm home eating dinner when I hear what I think is a loud truck outside the house, except that it's not a truck. I know this because the house begins to shake. The heavy fireplace cover clanged back and forth and I felt myself being vibrated by the quake.
A couple of hours later the wife and I had just returned from walking the dog. I was sitting on the couch and she was doing something else and again, I felt the earth move. And then again about a minute later. And that was only the beginning. By the time Tuesday became Wednesday the USGS said there had been 10 earthquake in the area, with more on the way.
The seismology experts say we need to hit a five on the Richter Scale to do any significant damage. For now all of this is an amusement and aggravation for those living closer to the epicenter. They've had walls and foundations cracked. Their adventure is just beginning as they wrangle with insurers over whether this is an act of God, an act of fracking or an insurable incident.
That's what I'm thinking.
Rick Hadley
24/7 News
