Well, I tell ya, things been a bit shakey ’round here lately, especially this mornin’. It was ’bout 10:20 when the ground started to tremble, and not just a little bit. No, it was a good strong shake, like when ya step on the old porch board and it makes the whole house creak. This here earthquake—called a 4.8 magnitude one—came all the way from up in New Jersey. Some folks say it came from Lebanon, New Jersey, though I ain’t never heard of that place. All I know is it sure made a mess of things.
Now, I ain’t one to worry too much ’bout quakes, but this one got the folks in New Haven and even up in Yale all jumpy. You see, New Haven ain’t just a little ol’ town no more—it’s got big fancy buildings and a whole bunch of important folk workin’ in ’em. And when those buildings start to shake, it sure don’t feel too good. You could hear the windows rattlin’, and even the walls seemed to groan a bit. Not to mention, I reckon a few folks might’ve spilled their coffee or dropped their phones. Now, that ain’t nothing to laugh about when you been in the middle of a tremblin’ like that!
I heard they said this earthquake was just a little thing compared to what happened over in Japan back in 2011. Now, I ain’t one to bring up sad things, but that was a big ol’ disaster, wasn’t it? They had a quake and a tsunami, and a whole lotta folks lost their lives. They said it was a 9.0 magnitude, which is just about the strongest you can get. That’s real bad news, but this one here? Well, it ain’t nothing like that, thank the good Lord.
But still, a shake’s a shake, and if it don’t wake you up, I don’t know what will! Now, this quake in New Jersey—well, it shook the whole northeastern part of the country. It even rattled them big skyscrapers in New York, and people over there must’ve been a bit startled too. Bet they ain’t used to that kinda thing, what with all them tall buildings and busy streets. And not just the big cities—people felt it all the way from Philly to up here in New Haven. Even in them quiet suburbs, folks said they could feel the earth tremblin’ under their feet.
It don’t happen often, these earthquakes, but when they do, folks sure take notice. Ain’t no use in pretendin’ that it ain’t a little scary, especially when you’re just mindin’ your own business and suddenly the floor starts movin’ like it’s tryin’ to run off from ya. And I reckon it ain’t over just yet, ’cause they said there were some aftershocks too, though I don’t know what exactly that means. Sounds like somethin’ that keeps happenin’ after the first shake, and I ain’t too sure I want any more of that.
Now, I don’t know much about these earthquakes and what causes ’em, but I do know that people in New Haven and Yale are gonna be talkin’ about this one for a while. Ain’t every day the ground starts movin’ beneath your feet! But I reckon we just gotta take it as it comes, and hope it don’t get any worse. Ya hear about these aftershocks, and it sure does make ya wonder just how much more shaking the earth’s got in it.
Some folks over at the University of New Haven were doin’ some kinda drill when the quake happened. It was a mass casualty drill, they said, which sounds real serious to me. But maybe it’s a good thing they were practicin’ just in case somethin’ worse happens down the line. Don’t reckon you can be too prepared for a big shake like that, but it don’t hurt to try.
So, what can we do now? Well, it’s over for the moment, but I’m sure folks are keepin’ their eyes on the news, watchin’ for any more aftershocks. That’s just how things go after somethin’ like this. I’m sure the folks in New Haven are gonna be talkin’ ’bout it for days, wonderin’ if the earth’s gonna shake again. But for now, all we can do is go on with our day, keep our feet steady, and hope the ground stays still. Ain’t no use in worryin’ too much, right?
Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna keep a close eye on the weather and the news. Earthquakes, they don’t give no warning, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from livin’ through all these years, it’s that you never know what’s gonna come next. But for now, I reckon we’re all just glad it ain’t worse, and prayin’ it stays that way!
Tags：[earthquake, New Haven, 4.8 magnitude earthquake, New Jersey, Yale, aftershocks, tremors, northeast earthquake, Lebanon, mass casualty drill, northeastern U.S., earthquake news]
