Earthquake

[CleopatrasAsp]

I confess my immediate response was....to stand in the middle of the floor saying WTF!!!!

[janmack]

I just sat rooted to the sofa like an idiot   When I did try to get up to run outside my legs were shaking so much (or maybe it was the floor) I sat down again.  Phil was out by the pool and he couldn't move either :   Finally when it was coming to an end we came to our senses, along with the others on the complex, and went out onto the street...as all our Turkish neighbours had done at the very start!  I'd like to think if it happens again we will be better prepared but who knows...

[kayakebab]

I was on my sunbed and thought a big lorry had gone past. Then everything started swaying forward and back and I was mesmerised!
Although I've visited Fethiye regularly since 1994 and lived here since Feb last year I've never felt a tremor, so assumed this was what happens.
It wasn't til John started shouting at Honey to get her outside and I heard others shouting and children crying that I realised it might not be normal!
By that time it had stopped.
I was then googling to find out the strength of it.
It wasn't til afterwards that the nerves kicked in and I felt very uneasy for a couple of hours.
The aftershocks are a constant reminder every time you start feeling its all over and no more to worry about and it makes my tummy have an anxious knot or 2.

I spent the evening reading up on earthquakes, including Facebook where people had suddenly qualified as seismologists and prophets of doom!
I couldn't see the logic of sleeping outside because its all so unpredictable and nothing I read could confirm that there would necessarly be another, so went to bed and slept like a log knowing that staying awake worrying wasn't going to stop it happening again.
After all no one predicted the one in the afternoon so people saying there was going to be a bigger one that night didn't sound convincing!

6.1 was bad enough, apparently for each increment on the Richter scale the effect is 10 times worse, so can't help think how lucky we were.
I hope that everyone has now read up on what to do and feel better mentally prepared if there was a worse one.
Thanks for all the practical info shared on here.
Hopefully we can file that info in our memory boxes and never need to use it.
Inshallah.

[Dutchie]

I was sitting on our groundfloor (covered) terrace with a friend whilst our 2 year olds were playing.
After living in Turkey for 15 years, I'm used to tremors and normally just wait them out.
This time I noticed that it was different so I dragged my friend out of her chair (she was frozen), grabbed my daughter and ran into the garden.
My friend also grabbed her daughter but even when we were standing in the garden, she was still dazed and asked what was going on.
Normally she's a quick thinker so interesting to see how people can react in an unusual situation.

We did sleep outside that night because after the 9 pm aftershock I got scared so didn't want to stay inside.

Last night we slept inside but with a glass filled with spoons next to my bed so that the noice would wake me up in case it happened again. (I can't remember where I had read that yesterday. Could have actually been on CBF)

[Merlin]

<snip> ..........where people had suddenly qualified as seismologists and prophets of doom!

And is this impact headline really necessary?
http://www.fethiyetimes.com/

[Dutchie]

By the way, at the moment I have lots of ulcers in my mouth at the moment.
Something I've never had until yesterday.
According to my husband (who happens to be a doctor) this can be caused by stress and/or fear.
I couldn't believe him but after a google search I have to admit that he is right.

Anybody else suffering from sudden physical problems?

[Merlin]

Interesting article here

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-14/turkey-tightens-mandatory-quake-insurance-rules-hurriyet-says.html

Beginning in August, it won’t be possible to sign up for electricity, gas or water services without a disaster-insurance policy, said Selamet Yazici, president of the Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool, according to the Istanbul-based newspaper. The measure should help increase policy holders to 10 million from 3.8 million within five years, Yazici said.

[Karennina]

Linda I really really envy you your postitive mental attitude to  Sunday's happenings  
To say I was traumatised is an understatement ok I am one of life's very big worriers but I am afraid it has rather ruined Turkey for me now and I am not in a hurry to return ever, people think I will change my mind with time but I know myself and at the moment it is very doubtful indeed that I will go back any time soon, house or no house out there.   

[Karennina]

ps I did mean to say hope everyone is ok out there and hopefully things  will get back to normal soon for everyone   oh and I am love loving the new forum Keith now I am getting the hang of it  

[nichola]

The first time I experienced a noticeable tremor was a few years ago. I was in bed and suddenly the bed started moving and things on the dressing table started tinkling. I remember think what I was doing to cause this to happen and thoughts of a poltergeist came to my mind

When I realized it was a tremor I grabbed my dressing gown and ran from the house to find I was all alone and felt a bit stupid.

This time was markedly more powerful and both Dogan and I who had just come in and sat down looked at each other shouted earthquake and legged it for the door. Going through my mind was the advice to actually not leave the building to avoid falling debris but nothing was stopping me leaving. The thought of being crushed or surrounded by rubble under a table was enough for me to carry on running.

We took nothing with us - an indication on reflection that all the things even my mobile so important in everyday life meant nothing.

We sat in the garden away from the house. Dogan went back in for bags and phones and the aftershock struck right at that time. I yelled at he came running like a scalded cat.

We both tried to ring friends and family but couldn't make calls. I managed to get onto the internet using 3G and at least post on Facebook for which I was very grateful and for the support and phone calls from friends and the information shared by Rindaloo (who while I was panicking was on Google search) about where the earthquake had happened.

Being in touch with people and eventually being able to get in touch with my family meant a lot to me. So earthquake bag will be ready and I will have my phone handy for the next time I have to leave anywhere in a hurry.

I would just like to add that many earthquakes (which may prove later to be foreshocks) or significant aftershocks that can cause worse damage because of the initial damage done by the first often occur at night. There is plenty of evidence of this.

I have had some people laugh at me (nicely) for sleeping outside but the way I see it is that as earthquakes usually only last a few seconds and actually a really big earthquake would not give you time to do anything or run anywhere not even in the middle of the day so the last place I want to be is sleeping soundly in bed.

So I have enjoyed my last two nights out side sleeping under the stars and consider it to be a bit of an adventure and a pleasant way to make the best of a worrying time.

I feel no embarrassment at confessing I was pretty shaken up and I am still not sure my legs have fully recovered