Earthquake in Dubai!

it was nearly 3am when mr. khairul read the super-latest news : tremors of earthquake was felt in the entire UAE (united arab emirates). a rush of mild panic swept me. an earthquake? in the country that i’m currently staying in?

and then i read the news. it wasn’t so bad after all. at least in dubai.

actually there was a strong earthquake in pakistan, and the gegaran were felt so far wide, including the UAE. 7.2 on the richter scale tu. that’s one powerful quake! poor pakistan. they’re still recovering from the devastating flood that hit the nation last year – 1/5 of the land covered in water, losing thousands of lives and about 20 millions left homeless. kesian, now gempa bumi pulak.

apparently, people living in al-ain felt the earthquake the most. dubai is about an hour and a half away from al-ain.

during the said earthquake, we were actually on the road from the airport after sending abah and umi, and picking up mr. khairul’s sister teh, who had just arrived from cairo, egypt. we didn’t feel anything. i immediately called abah who was still waiting for his flight back to malaysia. they were both okay, and didn’t even know about the tremors. alhamdulillah.

 

 

Al Ain: Strong tremors caused by a powerful earthquake in Pakistan were felt in most parts of the UAE at around 12:27am on Wednesday, sending waves of panic among people who rushed out of their homes.

Pakistan's earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck some 566km in the northwest of Karachi, said the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology.

The NCMS confirmed that the tremors were felt deep inside the UAE. In a report issued at 2:10am, the centre said it has caused no harm in the UAE.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was more than 84km underground, close to the town of Dalbandin in Baluchistan province, near the Afghan and Iranian frontiers.

The tremors were felt by people living even in Al Ain. Police and Civil Defence department has not reported any material damage or causalities.

The quake, however, sent a wave of panic among residents in Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai, Al Ain, and parts of Abu Dhabi. Many of them rushed out into the open.

Doneet Lobo, an Indian resident in Al Ain, said he was reading a book at his bed when the tremors were felt. He immediately realised that it’s an earthquake and got out of the room. "The things around me rattled for a few seconds and I was horrified,” said Lobo. He said he immediately contacted his friends in the city and they also felt the same.

click here for full story.

* * *

2.5 on richter scale, or 7.2 on richter scale – what is this actually?

HOW AN EARTHQUAKE IS MEASURED

• in 1935, an American seismologist, Charles F Richter, made use of a logarithmic scale to measure the magnitude (the size and strength) of an earthquake
• it’s known as Richter scale
• it was based on the amplitude of the waves, measured by a seismograph
• Italian scientist Giuseppe Mercalli invented Mercalli scale in 1902, used to measure the intensity of an earthquake, based upon the observation of destruction caused by the calamity at a particular location.
• the seismographs near the epicenter of the earthquake measure its intensity, ranging from 1 to 9
• the lowest intensity, number 1, is not felt at the surface
• little damage is caused, when the intensity is recorded as 4
• the number 6 corresponds to a strong earthquake, clearly felt over a wide area
• the intensity of earthquake, noted as 7 and 8 on the richter scale, is considered as highly destructive, damaging the buildings and life up to 100 km from epicenter
• te intensity of 9 has not been recorded till date. such a high intensity is regarded as an earthquake that can devastate life up to 1000 km from the epicenter

 

the earthquake that hit pakistan last night was 7.2 on the richter scale!

* * *

 

 

WHAT TO DO DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

• if you're indoors, stay there. get under -- and hold onto --a desk or table, or stand against an interior wall. stay clear of exterior walls, glass, heavy furniture, fireplaces and appliances. the kitchen is a particularly dangerous spot. if you’re in an office building, stay away from windows and outside walls and do not use the elevator.
• if you're outside, get into the open. stay clear of buildings, power lines or anything else that could fall on you.
• if you're driving, move the car out of traffic and stop. avoid parking under or on bridges or overpasses. try to get clear of trees, light posts, signs and power lines. when you resume driving, watch out for road hazards.
• if you're in a mountainous area, beware of the potential for landslides. likewise, if you're near the ocean, be aware that tsunamis are associated with large earthquakes. get to high ground.
• if you’re in a crowded public place, avoid panicking and do not rush for the exit. stay low and cover your head and neck with your hands and arms.

 

we were in the car, on the move when it happened. why didn’t we feel anything ya? and i wonder was it better to be stuck inside the house during an earthquake, or be caught outside?

all in all, alhamdulillah nothing bad happened to us, and abah and umi…