First fires, now an earthquake. Okay, no biggie by California standards — only 5.6 First there was a jolt, then the floor gently undulated like sea kelp. Chandeliers swayed overhead.
Did Californians duck under desks? No, they twittered first, then ran for cover. Or they twittered from underneath their dining room tables. Or from Arby’s in Gilroy.
News of the quake broke instantly and first on Twitter, apparently.
Mad Dog In The Fog tracked the Twitter traffic and he compiled hundreds, maybe thousands, of tweets (or messages).
Here’s just a taste of the tweets, courtesy of Mad Dog’s blog (and thanks to Mad Dog for compiling):
UPDATE: 11:53p.m. Oct. 31. (P.S. Tap into the global zeitgeist on Twittervision. This site tracks tweets on an earth map. The map moves back and forth depending on location of incoming tweets. Tweets pop up like cyber-fizz, including one incoming a minute ago from Portland OR: "The FIOS guy is here!")
twitter: (kurrik): EARTHQUAKE STATUS UPDATE - BBQ Sauce, Relish untouched, Tabasco Chipotle and Mayonnaise DOWN! OH, THE HUMANITY
(sallypnut): Whoa. Hello, earthquake.
(krob): Earthquake in the Bay Area!
(tychay): Earthquake. Sweet.
(chipotlecoyote): Earthquake. Fascinating.
(trevor_m_wilson): earthquake in Berkeley
(jimgoldstein): Earthquake in SF
(rcrowley): Earthquake!
(jonk): earthquake!!!!
(malerin): EARTHQUAKE
(jakeludington): Anyone else feel an earthquake in the South Bay about now?
(lloydgomez): Modesto just had an earthquake! YikesŠ..
(shawnbot): Whee, earthquake!
(homesliced): a little shaken from my 1st SF earthquake
(Fenchurch): Whoa, violent earthquake. Not the rolling kind, but a shaky one.
(stevepm): Hello earthquake, welcome to my dinner party.
(bernie): wow. best quake yet!
(synergist): Earthquake!
(deebeedee): WOW, we just had an earthquake!!
(aliciarenee): Earthquake! and haus still stands. huzzah.
(csoriano): Holy shite. In Gilroy at an Arby’s. EARTHQUAKE JUST NOW!!! Crazy. Everything seems to be ok.
(labspaz): I am missing Charlie Brown and the Great PumpkinŠ Cause of workŠ ;( and we just had an earthquakeŠ
(aki_wah): my first earthquake in the new apartment!
(yoz): Okay, that was the strongest earthquake I’ve ever experienced. (Mission Dolores.)
(tonystubblebine): wondering if sarah felt that quake. it was long. eggs didn’t notice, did you eggs?
(eskimogirl43): Shook up by the earthquake
(kesava): ppl, plz hold ur earthquake tweets till I come back from dinner. [grin]
