An earthquake woke us in Northcliffe, Western Australia
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (339930)
Rockingham, Australia
November 10, 2018 8:25am CST
I forgot to share with you that while we were in the motel in Northcliffe, Western Australia, early Friday morning, there was a 5.4 Richter scale earthquake. I was awake and heard the rumbling of what I thought must have been a freight train. At about the time I remembered that trains no longer went to the town, the room started to shake. This went on for a few minutes or even less then it all stopped.
There was no major damage reported although we were quite close to the epicentre. Dozens of smaller quakes have been happening over the last few weeks but most are too small to be noticed.
The photo is of a sign at the town hall which I thought was amusing – the sign was amusing, not the town hall. It reads ‘Please do not park under this verandah’. I can’t imagine any cars being small enough to fit but perhaps they mean motor-bikes.
35 people like this
33 responses
@xFiacre (13013)
• Ireland
10 Nov 18
@judyev we had a lot of those in Malawi along the Rift Valley where we lived. They were always over by the time we realised what they were. The house rather unstable and thrown together rather than properly built so there were always bits dropping off. One time the whole kitchen dropped off and that left the sitting room inconveniently minus a wall. Thankfully the toilet was always left intact.
7 people like this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Nov 18
That sign could refer to people parking their butts under the veranda! lol Although, if there is a bench there, then they must not mind people gathering and "parking" there, so you must be correct in thinking that they are referring to motor bikes!
Glad the earthquake wasn't stronger, and that there was no major damage. Are earthquakes common for that region? I've never been in an earthquake before!
5 people like this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 Nov 18
@JudyEv The earthquake wouldn't have been so exciting if it was stronger and caused a lot of damage. Luckily it wasn't a bad earthquake.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
10 Nov 18
I did not know you had quakes down under.
4 people like this
@snowy22315 (180678)
• United States
11 Nov 18
Apparently, we had an earthquake here on Friday..it was centered right in this area, as a matter of fact there were two..the larger one was 3.4. I never noticed them..The big East Coast quake in 2011 was centered in this county, there was no missing that, and the aftershocks that followed!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 18
@snowy22315 I heard of some places here where things fell off shelves.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55601)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Nov 18
We know earthquakes well in Southern California . . . oh but it concerns me as we had not felt one in a while. We were the epicenter for the '94 Big One. Are earthquakes typical out there? What a funny sign . . . I can't see any car fitting under there . . . so I guess the sign is doing its job 
.
.1 person likes this
@much2say (55601)
• Los Angeles, California
11 Nov 18
@JudyEv I know folks from other states who come to live here - even the little earthquakes scare them because they have never felt the earth shake and roll like that before. We are in a place where those little ones are typical (but not recently 
- that's why it feels so odd!).
- that's why it feels so odd!).1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50250)
• United States
10 Nov 18
I've never been near an earthquake, but we have felt tremors of one when we lived in Germany. I can't recall what country the earthquake was in. I think Turkey. I'm glad that you are okay
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
13 Nov 18
That is a pretty good shaker, had many like that when I lived in California.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
13 Nov 18
@JudyEv I never really did, was strartled every time.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Nov 18
@JudyEv - I love the sign. I know what you mean about the sound of the earthquake before it hits. I heard that once, too. Very ominous.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40293)
• Laguna Woods, California
12 Nov 18
@JudyEv Yes, it does! Not all earthquakes make that sound, though. It depends on the kind of rock under you. I've felt many earthquakes, but only heard that sound once.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 18
@DeborahDiane I guess that makes sense. I haven't thought much about them before.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
10 Nov 18
Glad that no damage was there. I have experienced such tremors several times. It is thrilling to talk about it later. But I really panic at that time.
2 people like this
@arunima25 (87806)
• Bangalore, India
11 Nov 18
@JudyEv Yes you feel numb and clueless.
1 person likes this
@nawala123 (20871)
• Indonesia
11 Nov 18
i dont know is verandah is english word, we say beranda in bahasa indonesia
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
11 Nov 18
Yes, verandah is English. Beranda isn't much different is it?
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
12 Nov 18
@nawala123 Do you have a 'v' sound in Indonesian? In Europe my husband Vince often got called Wince or Bince. In verandah and savannah the 'v' is replaced by a 'b' so I was wondering if you have a 'v' at all.
@nawala123 (20871)
• Indonesia
12 Nov 18
@JudyEv no, it is almost similar if you know how we say in indonesia. just for example, Savannah in eglish is sabana in indonesia.
1 person likes this
@Spontaneo (14700)
• United States
12 Nov 18
I took the sign as meaning that people should not park their butts there! LOL
1 person likes this
