Philippines Earthquake - October 15, 2013

October 15, 2013 was such a sad day for the Philippines, specifically to the people of Central Visayas that was most affected by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

The tremblor hit at exactly 8:12 AM of Tuesday, with epicenter located 2 kilometers southeast of Carmen, Bohol.

It was so powerful, however, to have affected even the nearby province of Cebu, where it was felt at Intensity 6.

As of 8:30 PM Tuesday, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Central Visayas says 86 have already been recorded dead due to the quake, while 261 are injured and 7 are still missing.

@PIACentralViz: RDRRMC Sitrep As of 8:30PM/Oct. 15: 86 dead, 261 injured, 7 missing in #VisayasQuake #earthquakePH

The October 15, 2013 Bohol earthquake is the 6th most powerful earthquake to have hit the country for the last 50 years. Topping the list was the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that hit Moro Gulf in 1976, killing nearly 6,000 people.

My mother cried while watching the videos of the earthquake’s aftermath shown on TV this morning. While I almost cried because I still haven’t visited those ruined Catholic churches.

Meanwhile, CCTV camera footages shared by those who experienced the earthquake first hand let us virtually experience the earthquake. And I just know I’d freak out especially when I’m near this pool shown in the video below.

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Magnitude 5.8 Quake Rattles New Jersey and New York

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered in Virginia shook parts of New Jersey and New York 1:51 PM of August 23, 2011. Although no injuries or structural damage was reported, it caused buildings in the area to sway, causing fear among the residents.

The earthquake was also felt in Washington, D.C. and North Carolina.

U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter was northwest of Richmond, Virginia, about halfway to Charlottesville. Geophysicist Julie Dutton said an earthquake that big is rare for the East Coast but since quakes move more easily through the bedrock, the effects are widely felt in the region.

The earthquake was a shallow 6-kilometer deep. and the composition of the earth's surface in the East Coast is the reason why the earthquake was felt in a wide range.

There are fault lines throughout the East Coast but the location of the main ones haven't been identified yet.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Husch, chair of the department of geological, environmental and marine sciences at Rider University in Lawrenceville said that earthquakes in the East Coast are not common, but they are not unusual. The recorded magnitude 5.8 quake, though, may be the largest ever recorded in that area.

photo: usgs.gov