View Full Version : Woken by Earthquake last night in Manchester
We were woken last night by the wardrobes in our bedroom shaking and the doors banging it was really very frightening...........................
The strongest earthquake to hit Britain in more than two decades was felt across large parts of the country early Wednesday, officials said. Some homes had minor damage but there were no reports of injuries.
The British Geological Survey said the 5.3-magnitude quake struck at about 1 a.m. and was centered about 125 miles north of London.
Julian Bukits of the British Geological Survey called it the most powerful quake in Britain since a 5.4 temblor hit North Wales in 1984.
"This was a very large earthquake in UK terms, but in world terms average," Bukits told The Associated Press. "This one has been felt throughout the whole of England and southern Scotland."
Many people across the region — unaccustomed to such quakes — reported feeling their homes shaken.
"It was scary," David Somerset told The Associated Press by telephone from Driffield, around 60 miles from the epicenter. He was working on the computer at the time.
"It was a strange sensation as the room, ornaments and chest of drawers started wobbling and making a loud rumbling noise," he said.
Lincolnshire police said they had received dozens of phone calls about the temblor and that some minor damage to homes had been reported.
"This is a moderate earthquake," Rafael Abreu of the U.S. Geological Survey told Sky News from the United States.
He described the tremor as a shallow interplate earthquake. He said his U.S.-based group initially put the magnitude at 4.7 but would likely adopt the 5.3-magnitude rating from his British counterparts.
Bukits said Britain is hit annually with about 200 quakes but only 10 percent are strong enough to be felt. A quake of magnitude 5 is capable of causing considerable damage.
Did it wake you?
Paula D-S
27-02-2008, 10:43
Tahnkfully in our household we all slept through it.
No the earth didn't move for me last night[msnsmile2]
LiesaAnna
27-02-2008, 11:23
didnt move in Brighton either.... or if it did it didnt in my house!
must've been pretty scarey![msnoo][msneek]
I felt it here in Norwich it woke me up and I thought I was imagining it but now I have read this I know I didn't
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Sally D
No the earth didn't move for me last night[msnsmile2]
[/quote]
LOL!!![msnwink]
I have just turned my mobile on and have texts from my older son and daughter who are are uni saying WOW did you feel that!!!!![msnsmile]
zerotone
27-02-2008, 11:34
It woke me in Bradford, Yorks. I thought it was the chimney being blown off in the high winds we had last night. Hubby didn't feel or hear it and said I was dreaming. He went out to check the chimney but couldn't see much in the dark. Looks ok this morning. Really scary experience, felt the whole house shake and a loud rumbling noise.
Jane
Slept like a log [zzz][zzz][zzz]
canarypam
27-02-2008, 11:39
Same here Jean! The house shook and there was a loud banging then it stopped - didn't think any more about it until I heard them talking about it on the radio this morning. Hubby was asleep on the settee and slept through it!
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Genie
I felt it here in Norwich it woke me up and I thought I was imagining it but now I have read this I know I didn't
[/quote]
We are in Cheshire and woke with hearing what we thought was a door banging and then our bedroom door was rattling for about 30 seconds. We were blaming the cat!
solanasunshine
27-02-2008, 11:56
We felt it here in Leek, Staffordshire Moorlands - scary [msnscared]
Neatfeat
27-02-2008, 12:51
We live in Northampton, we only got back from Florida yesterday and I was catching up on my Sky plussed recordings at 1am this morning when the settee started bobbing up and down as if I was on a boat! I thought I was over tired and imagined it but met my husband on the stairs telling me the bed had just moved! It was a really strange feeling!
Didn't feel it here in Arborfield!
Hope you managed to get back to sleep alright Julie.[msnsmile] We felt an earthquake in San Francisco when we were ther elast year - most wierd experience ever!
No didn't feel a thing here in West Sussex - we miss all the fun!
It woke me up last night here in North Yorkshire. Some of my work colleagues had a pretty scary time though.
mfairhurst
27-02-2008, 14:20
We were woke up and we thought that someone had broken in as a door banged so we look around the house and saw nothing so thought a train had gone past as the main line to scotland is not far from us and when it is not windy we hear them .
It was only when we got up and saw the news was surprised We know how they must feel in Los Angeles a bit scary .
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx
floridadreamvilla.co.uk
27-02-2008, 14:49
It woke Sarah up here in North Shropshire but I slept right through it.
luckylady
27-02-2008, 14:55
Believe me it was scary, I was in my study on my computer.Bruce was in bed fast asleep.
Around 1.am the whole house shook,it was frightening for a split second I thought this is it. I wanted to move, but for those few seconds I couldn't. I guessed it was an earthquake
I have experienced them before in the UK, but this was definately the biggest.
So you can say without a shadow of a doubt the earth moved for me last night!! [msnwink]
My daughter just phoned me and told me she felt it in Luton. She knew what it was as she had felt one in her area a couple of years ago. Nothing here though, in Biggin Hill.
I was watching tv in bed and it felt like someone was underneath it as it was moving up and down.
Barbara
Nothing moved for me down in Devon[msnwink]
Sandra
brendawilliams
27-02-2008, 15:24
Nothing stirred in Hampshire and I was not asleep at the time, just on my computer catching up with the forum.
Pegasus928
27-02-2008, 16:31
Our house in UK is only about 10 miles from the epicentre - and we are not there [msnoo] Will have to wait until later today for reports from my family.
My son has a huge interest in hurricanes, tornados, quakes etc and he is gutted that he missed it [msnscared] Not so sure he would have liked being there though
Elaine
Peppermint
27-02-2008, 16:50
Yes definitely felt it here in Suffolk and the poor dog got told off for barking![msneek]
Didn't feel anything but there again had drunk half a bottle of Red.
[party2]
Did not hear or feel a[zzz][zzz][zzz] thing although my Friend across the road said her Bed had moved and woke her she thought she was dreaming
SCARY!!!
dunkderby
27-02-2008, 20:20
It woke all my family, even my 15 year old son who only 2 nights ago managed to sleep through my husband accidently setting off the house alarm which has an internal siren so extremely loud.
Colleen
It woke me up just north of Manchester but I thought I was dreaming. I thought the dog was on the bed scratching! Didnt think any more of it until I saw the news this morning. Dear Hubby slept through it but that is no surprise[msnwink], he can sleep for England!
My 20 yr old Son was in bed awake and was frightened to death, he said he had to hold on to the bed as it was moving so much[msneek][msnoo]
Which rotten devil took the other half?[msnsmile2][msnsmile2]<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by becbecs
Didn't feel anything but there again had drunk half a bottle of Red.
[party2]
[/quote]
Yep we felt it here in Liversedge, went to bed and the winds were terrible so when we both woke up we thought some of the trees had come down, checked all in house and back to bed
Albert the Frog
27-02-2008, 21:18
I thought it was indigestion so took a Rennie and went back to sleep[msnsmile2]
britprincess
28-02-2008, 00:36
I felt it in the Midlands thought i was dreaming till i turned on GMTV this morning...... then it clicked!!![msnsmile2]
We're in Manchester, I'd dropped off on the sofa watching TV and it woke me up. I thought I was having a "funny turn" as the sofa seemed to be shaking, I closed my eyes again for a few seconds and when I opened them again everything was still shaking closed them again and when I opened them for the third time everything was back to normal so I went to bed.
I didn't realise what had happpened until I saw the news this morning. Steve managed to sleep through it all but there's no surprise there, he'd sleep through anything.
ShirleyCottam
28-02-2008, 02:21
We are in Derbyshire and were sitting watching TV. we heard a rumble and bang and I thought something had crashed through the roof, then the wobbling started, and we just looked at and said "earthquake!" It was a strange feeling!
My teenage boys came out and didnt realise what had happenned. It didnt take them long to get back to sleep though.
I went to bed soon after, and felt another small vibration,and thought it might be another small quake. (although it could have been hubby "rumbling"):D:D
Paula D-S
28-02-2008, 02:39
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Jules
We're in Manchester, I'd dropped off on the sofa watching TV and it woke me up. I thought I was having a "funny turn" as the sofa seemed to be shaking, I closed my eyes again for a few seconds and when I opened them again everything was still shaking closed them again and when I opened them for the third time everything was back to normal so I went to bed.
I didn't realise what had happpened until I saw the news this morning. Steve managed to sleep through it all but there's no surprise there, he'd sleep through anything.
[/quote]
Sorry Julie but your post did make me giggle.[laugh]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by caitlin
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Jules
We're in Manchester, I'd dropped off on the sofa watching TV and it woke me up. I thought I was having a "funny turn" as the sofa seemed to be shaking, I closed my eyes again for a few seconds and when I opened them again everything was still shaking closed them again and when I opened them for the third time everything was back to normal so I went to bed.
I didn't realise what had happpened until I saw the news this morning. Steve managed to sleep through it all but there's no surprise there, he'd sleep through anything.
[/quote]
Sorry Julie but your post did make me giggle.[laugh]
[/quote]
Hi Paula,
It made me giggle too when I realised what had really happened!
Didn't feel a thing in Lowesoft