Another Earthquake

We experienced another temblor yesterday afternoon around 4 p.m. This time, it was only a 2.5 magnitude quake. There wasn’t a lot of shaking, and it sounded more like an explosion this time. But I could tell it came from the same direction as the one we had in December. Charleston has a history of earthquakes. In 1886 an earthquake measuring between 6.6 and 7.3 on the Richter scale occurred around 10 p.m. The city didn’t have electricity and the full extent of the damage wasn’t realized until the next morning. Every building sustained some measure of damage. People lived in tents in the city parks for weeks because they were afraid to go back in their homes. If you are interested in viewing actual photos taken in 1886 following that devastating earthquake, you can see them at this website belonging to the St. Louis University Earthquake Center - http://www.eas.slu.edu/Earthquake_Center/1886EQ/thumbnails.html. Amazingly, the streetscape is recognizable today. Most of the buildings pictured are still standing.