Momentary dizziness was the most severe local side-effect of
Monday’s 6.5-magnitude earthquake.
Most local residents did feel the earthquake, but called it
”
a roller,
”
while buildings crumbled and people lost their lives closer to
the epicenter.
”
Our Christmas tree was really moving,
”
said Andrea Munday-Nicolette, a Hollister resident with three
children.
”
It was a really long one. It was a roller.
”
Momentary dizziness was the most severe local side-effect of Monday’s 6.5-magnitude earthquake.
Most local residents did feel the earthquake, but called it “a roller,” while buildings crumbled and people lost their lives closer to the epicenter.
“Our Christmas tree was really moving,” said Andrea Munday-Nicolette, a Hollister resident with three children. “It was a really long one. It was a roller.”
The quake was felt from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It was centered in San Simeon in San Luis Obispo County. The main shock at 11:16 a.m. was immediately followed by at least five aftershocks of magnitude larger than 3.3. The largest, an estimated magnitude 4.7, hit at 11:26 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
More than hundreds of aftershocks followed with some centered in Hollister and San Juan Bautista, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Web site. At this time, the probability of a strong and possibly damaging aftershock in the next seven days is greater than 90 percent, according to the site.
Locally, no damage, accidents or injuries were reported to police or fire officials.
Safeway suffered the most damage – two broken wine bottles, said Gabe Arias, assistant manager.
“A couple of aisles dropped a couple of cans. It was very mellow,” Arias said. “It wasn’t jerky. A sharp jerk would have knocked a lot more off.”
Most customers inside the grocery store stayed calm. Some jumped on their cell phones to make sure other family members were safe, Arias said.
Safeway florist Magali Sotelo called her house on Spring Grove Road to make sure everyone was OK, but no one felt the shake, she said.
Customers inside Majestic Beauty Supply felt dizzy during the quake. Assistant Manager Janette Ramirez reported “no damage, just wheezy customers.” But she and Manager Carolyn Perry were worried about the earthquake’s length.
“I told our customers to get to the front door in case we had to get them out,” Perry said.
“It lasted so long, if it got any worse, I told them I would grab them and drag them out the door,” Ramirez added.
In the middle of holiday shopping, customers at Target weren’t really fazed. Some people didn’t even know anything was happening until they saw the signs that hang from the ceiling shaking, said Robin Webb, executive team leader for guest services at Target.
“It was really just a roller through here,” Webb said. “It would roll, lighten up, then roll again. It kept going.”
Munday-Nicolette was surprised by how her children remembered their earthquake drills from school. Within seconds, they were under a table, she said.
Most schools are out for winter break for the next two weeks.
In comparison, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake along the San Andreas fault line registered a 7.1. The 1994 Northridge earthquake came in at 6.7 on the Richter Scale.
