Largest Colorado quake since 1967 shakes homes

[PorkChopSandwiches]

by The Associated Press

DENVER (AP) - The strongest earthquake to strike Colorado in more than 40 years shook awake hundreds of people, toppled groceries off shelves and caused minor damage to homes in the southern part of the state and in northern New Mexico. No injuries were reported as aftershocks continued Tuesday.

"Here we go again, there's another one starting. We got to get out of here," said Garry Ringo, owner of Ringo's Super Trading Post in the small town of Segundo, Colo., as bottles on shelves rattled in the background during an interview with The Associated Press.

Ringo estimated he lost thousands of dollars' worth of liquor and soda.

The magnitude 5.3 quake hit at 11:46 p.m. MDT Monday about nine miles southwest of Trinidad, or 180 miles south of Denver, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center in Golden. It had an estimated depth of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) and was felt in a relatively large area of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico.

Las Animas County Sheriff Jim Casias said Colorado authorities were assessing damage and so far had reported a porch collapse and a partially collapsed roof. No injuries had been reported, he said.

"As I had one lady tell me, 'Sheriff, maybe the world's coming to an end.' All I mentioned to her is that someday it will," Casias said.

Dozens of residents in Trinidad, a town of 9,000 people, and in northern New Mexico called the USGS to report the shaking. Others called from Colorado Springs, Colo., about 130 miles north of the epicenter, said geophysicist Shengzao Chen.

Minor aftershocks continued Tuesday in the relatively sparsely populated area that the USGS says is not known for major quakes or active faults. Theresa James, manager of Ringo's Super Trading Post, said a small swarm lasting three days hit the area last summer. Segundo is a former coal mining town of about 100 people.

USGS geophysicist Jessica Sigala said Monday's earthquake damaged chimneys, cracked walls and knocked items off shelves.

Minor rockslides were reported on Colorado Highway 12 and Interstate 25, but both highways remained open, a Las Animas County Sheriff's Office dispatcher said Tuesday.

The dispatcher, who would only give her first name as Kristina, said she was working when the earthquake hit near midnight.

"Everything was shaking, but we had no power loss," she said.

"I thought maybe a car had hit my house," said 70-year-old Trinidad resident Nadine Baca. "Then I called my son and he said it was the third (quake) today."

Cathy Gutierrez of Raton, N.M., about 20 miles south of Trinidad, told The Associated Press Tuesday that she felt two earthquakes, one around 5:30 p.m. Monday and the big earthquake just before midnight.



------------------------------


Did you feel it Lance?

[Hal-9000]

Lance slept through it apparently :lol:


or started it! :shock:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

He farted and a 5.2 hit

[redred]

He farted and a 5.2 hit
those breakfast burritos are to blame :lol:

[Hal-9000]

He was late for work and had to run...to his truck


:dance:

[redred]

:lol:

i'd say more a fast walk

[PorkChopSandwiches]

he lumbered

[Hal-9000]

Lance certainly doesn't prance :hand:

[Goofy]

Multiple bannings imminent :lol:

[PorkChopSandwiches]

:lol:

[Hal-9000]

He has to catch us first! :dance:


*has smoke and a short nap in the interim*

[DemonGeminiX]

There was a 6.0 earthquake that just hit on the East Coast. It hit less than 100 miles south of DC.

[Hal-9000]

wtf is going on down there??

the heatwaves aren't enough? You gotta have natural disasters too? :|

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Armageddon


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Jt_g10Jug

[RBP]

wtf is going on down there??

the heatwaves aren't enough? You gotta have natural disasters too? :|

There's a Hurricane in route as well, maybe 2.

[Hal-9000]

damn we've had a really shitty non-summer in terms of nice weather but I sure wouldn't want to have to endure that stuff...

*counts blessings*

[DemonGeminiX]

The hurricane's projected to hit North Carolina, and might go up and cause havoc in the DC metro area... if the current projections hold true.

There are two systems that could possibly develop off the west coast of Africa, but we won't know if they'll actually develop into something for another week and a half or two weeks.

[Joebob034]

what's with these earthquakes?

[DemonGeminiX]

:dunno:

Plate tectonics?

[PorkChopSandwiches]

:dunno:

Plate tectonics?

:lol:

[Noilly Pratt]

If you guys in the East see an old dude in an Ark with a bunch of animals, or 4 guys on horseback, give us a shout on the west coast so we have a little warning! :D

In all seriousness, stay safe my Eastern brothers and sisters!!

[Hal-9000]

what's with these earthquakes?


:dunno:

Plate tectonics?

BA-zinga! :dance:

[Acid Trip]

If you guys in the East see an old dude in an Ark with a bunch of animals, or 4 guys on horseback, give us a shout on the west coast so we have a little warning! :D

In all seriousness, stay safe my Eastern brothers and sisters!!

Let's just hope Noah gets the unicorns this time around :mrgreen:

[FBD]

supposedly people felt it around here, but all I saw was a fat lady walking the floor around that time, and I honestly couldnt peg the difference :lol:

[deebakes]

:rip: lance :(

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Did you feel it Lance?

Nope, not at all...wouldn't have known it if I hadn't seen it in the news that morning

[Loser]

The quake in Virginia was 40 miles from my brothers house :shock:

[DemonGeminiX]

If he's alright, you should mess with him. Play The Car's "Shake It Up" for him over the phone.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Or play I Feel the Earth Move :tup:

[Loser]

:lol:

[Hal-9000]

I couldn't imagine paying X amount of dollars every month for years on a mortgage, only to come home one day and find that 1/2 of the house has moved 5 meters over :(

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I couldn't imagine paying X amount of dollars every month for years on a mortgage, only to come home one day and find that 1/2 of the house has moved 5 meters over :(

Thats why we also make an insurance payment every month for years :)

[Hal-9000]

Thats why we also make an insurance payment every month for years :)

Yeah but I always think in extremes...the solvency of the insurance company for example.

eg A massive quake hits LA and 500000 homes are insured with Allstate.Can the ins comp handle all of the financial obligations while thousands are literally sleeping on the streets?




keep a happy thought -9000

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I dont know, I guess you could look at Katrina and see what happened.



Private insurers paid out $41.1 billion in claims for hurricane damage for the 1.7 million claims submitted from the six-state region affected by the storm.

http://blogs.courant.com/connecticut_insurance/2010/08/katrina-insurance-claims-five.html

[KevinD]

I dont know, I guess you could look at Katrina and see what happened.




http://blogs.courant.com/connecticut_insurance/2010/08/katrina-insurance-claims-five.html

Which is why 90% of the remaining ins. companies either won't write policies, or drastically increased premiums for "first tier" counties.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Which is why 90% of the remaining ins. companies either won't write policies, or drastically increased premiums for "first tier" counties.

Hey, if you live in a 'danger zone', then it's only fair that you pay higher premiums than people that don't ;)

[PorkChopSandwiches]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8rZWw9HE7o

[KevinD]

Hey, if you live in a 'danger zone', then it's only fair that you pay higher premiums than people that don't ;)

I have no problem with that. I however think that it is unethical to take peoples money in those areas for decades, then drop them after huge claims are made. To say "We simply aren't going to write policies there anymore" is entirely up to the Ins. companies, but it does leave a lot of people stuck with no options.
Insurance is a gamble scheme to me...the Ins company is betting that nothing will happen, and the customers are betting that something will, and it will be more than the premiums paid in.

[Hal-9000]

good example...that is extreme.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

I have no problem with that. I however think that it is unethical to take peoples money in those areas for decades, then drop them after huge claims are made. To say "We simply aren't going to write policies there anymore" is entirely up to the Ins. companies, but it does leave a lot of people stuck with no options.
Insurance is a gamble scheme to me...the Ins company is betting that nothing will happen, and the customers are betting that something will, and it will be more than the premiums paid in.

There's no such thing as being "uninsurable"....there are high risk pools that people are put into and you pay out the ass for your premiums, but you still have insurance.

Would it be fair that, after that HUGE loss by the insurance companies to force them to continue insuring those homes? What if there's another massive hurricane next season? Or even that same year? What good does having insurance do you if the company is bankrupt because they were forced to keep insuring someone in a high risk area after paying out a huge amount of claims?

You say it's unethical for the insurance companies to drop the people, but people do the same thing to insurance companies all the time. Somebody finds a different company with a premium that saves them $5 and they switch. So if you want to 'force' insurance companies to keep insuring people after a huge loss, then you should force people to stay with the same companies in good times.

[KevinD]

BTW, I don't live in a first tier county, but have friends and family that do, and my wife was an Insurance Agent for 15 years.

As an example, a friend just bought a home in a first tier county. Like most first time buyers, he has an Escrow payment. He is limited for the first year to the escrow account insurance company, After that, that company will no longer renew portions of his policy, and he only has one other private ins option.

[Hal-9000]

from Kev's..

"the Ins company is betting that nothing will happen, and the customers are betting that something will, and it will be more than the premiums paid in."

that's solvency...can the ins comp pay out all claims simultaneously if necessary? They're betting it won't happen and most companies couldn't do it.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

The insurance companies will just file a claim with their insurance company.

[Hal-9000]

and then that company will knock on Obama's door..

[PorkChopSandwiches]

http://www.culturefeast.com/wp-content/uploads/bailout.jpg

[KevinD]

Eh, don't mind me...I just have had some bad experiences with Ins. Comps in the past, so kinda soured on them. I understand they are in business to make money (aren't we all? ) lol
Just not real happy with what went on around the gulf coast a couple years ago.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Don't get me wrong, I hate insurance....to me it's basically legalized extortion, especially since you are required to have it. But you have to see both sides of the coin.

[Hal-9000]

Eh, don't mind me...I just have had some bad experiences with Ins. Comps in the past, so kinda soured on them. I understand they are in business to make money (aren't we all? ) lol
Just not real happy with what went on around the gulf coast a couple years ago.

I had a boss for about 20 years and his wife wrote insurance for a large oil company, then another firm and finally personal insurance.She told me stories about how insurance companies operate that would make your hair stand on end....

[Acid Trip]

This just in. The "earthquakes" recently felt across the United States WERE NOT actual earthquakes. It was our founding fathers collectively rolling over in their graves.

Undisclosed source.