I had just gotten out of Astronomy class and I was starving. There was a Cup of Noodles calling my name. I went up to my room on the fourth floor, greeted my roommate, Ashton, and began to prepare my inexpensive meal. I had yet to use my microwave, a tiny antiquated gift from my grandma, and I was hoping all would go well.
The cup barely fit inside. I turned the dial (yes, the microwave is so old it has a dial), and sat at my desk awaiting my lunch. Then the entire building started shaking. Ashton and I looked at each other and then we looked at the microwave. We stared at it for what seemed, to me, to be a very long time before I said, "Is that the microwave? How is it doing that?"
Eventually, we figured out this was an earthquake and went out into the hall, which seemed more logical than staying where we were. Everyone else had done the same thing. "We have to stand in the doorways!" yelled my friend Jamie, cramming into my doorway with me. I remember thinking that this was ridiculous. What I thought we should really do is go outside, because if the building collapsed, a doorway on the fourth floor was not really going to help.
Turns out I was wrong and Jamie was kind of right.
Here are some tips from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) about what to do if you're inside during an earthquake, just for future reference.
-DROPto the ground; take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
-Use a doorway for shelter only if it is in close proximity to you and you know it is a strongly supported, load-bearing doorway.
-Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside: Research has shown most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
Once the shaking stopped, we all sat down in the hallway and discussed our harrowing experience. We decided we would just stay where we were for the time being. If there were aftershocks, "at least we'd die together." We started to joke about it after we had all checked Facebook to ensure our friends and family members had also survived. It seemed everyone on the east coast had posted an earthquake status. We were not alone.
The news media and the Internet subsequently exploded with earthquake coverage. The east coast was in a panic. Washington, D.C. thought terrorists were to blame. There were rumors of impending aftershocks. People were legitimately terrified. Then came the jokes.
I don't think there is a person left in America (with the exception of the Amish) who hasn't seen the picture of a set of lawn furniture with one chair lying on the ground. It reads, "The Virginia Earthquake: We will rebuild!" Ha, ha. Very funny.
Californians have also been mocking the mass hysteria the earthquake caused here in the east. One west coaster tweeted 5.6 earthquakes are what she uses to stir her coffee. It is all in good fun, but I really don't think they have the right. Let's face it; if a hurricane hit California, they would probably freak out more than we do here in the east because they are much rarer there. It is similar to when it snows in Florida- people panic. They even cancel school if it's below 40 degrees. Not a single snow flake has to fall.
Unlike Californians, Virginians are never taught what to do in an earthquake. Many have never felt one before, so it is only normal they would be afraid. And if you've seen the pictures of the town of Mineral, Virginia, they had a reason to be. Buildings are condemned, stores lost all of their merchandise, and it's just generally an unfortunate situation.
I'm not saying this was an incredibly devastating sort of "natural disaster," just that people need to stop thinking with such regional biases and look out for each other. Perhaps Virginia could take a cue from California and earthquake-proof its buildings. A universal building code for the country would probably help everyone. Why shouldn't houses in Virginia be required to be as structurally sound as those in California? And perhaps we should add earthquake drills to the list of things we make kids do in elementary school. What harm could it do to have them be prepared?
Oh, and, in case you were wondering, my Cup of Noodles turned out just fine.
