We were awaken this morning some time before 5 a.m. with a jolt, a 4.2 earthquake epicentered just a few miles to our east around Oakland. It seemed to go on and on and on (when in fact it was only about 7-8 seconds).
Living in earthquake country, we've been through many earthquakes in the 3-4 range, but this one took us by surprise by how strong it shook (probably since it's so close to us), and the fact that it woke us from sleep (I wear earplugs so I wasn't roused until Jacques and Bryson were already jumping all over me).
This is also the first time we sustained any earthquake-related damage- a vase fell off the bookcase and scattered sharp shards all over the place- a small damage, but enough to rattle a nerve. It also got us vacuuming at 5 in the morning since we've had enough vet visits lately. Our building (Besler Building) has been standing since the 1920's as a steam engine factory and then as residential units since the 80's, and has lived through Loma Prieta (a 7.1 earthquake that caused widespread damage in the Bay Area) without any major damage. With that thought, we all went straight back to sleep.
