Earthquake

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake rattled Southern California on Tuesday night. The quake was reported at 11:23 p.m. and was centered around Yorba Linda in northern Orange County. There was no immediate word of injuries or damage, but the quake was felt over a wide area. According to the the U.S. Geological Survey, the temblor struck two miles northeast of Yorba Linda, about 29 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It was felt from Long Beach northwest to Santa Monica, as well as in downtown L.A.

Though some compared the explosion that followed Tuesday's CSX train derailment in Rosedale to the earthquake that rattled the region in 2011, it did not register on U.S. Geological Survey monitors. That is according to data from the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo. There was no sign of seismic activity in the Baltimore area around 2 p.m., when a freight train, carrying chemicals that later exploded, crashed into a truck. The explosion sent a shock wave felt for miles across the region, breaking windows, knocking pictures off of walls and dropping ceiling tiles in areas closest to the blast.

UPDATED : They say that animals can sense an earthquake. Now that the Baltimore area -- the whole East Coast -- just experienced one this afternoon, there seems to be proof that at least some dogs and cats knew something was up. Officials at the Maryland SPCA, where all of the shelter animals appeared completely normal and oblivious moments before the quake, polled pet owners moments after the incident, asking if anyone's animals were acting...

A few weeks ago, I spent a few quiet minutes in Green Mount Cemetery, where its higher ground offers unexpected views of Baltimore. As I looked to the southeast, something curious caught my eye. What was going on in the nearby Oliver neighborhood? What was that thing attached to the mighty bell tower of St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church? This parish — the oldest African-American Roman Catholic congregation in the United States officially founded for people of color — has just begun to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

The U.S. Geological Survey Saturday reported an early-morning earthquake of 2.1 magnitude in parts of western Carroll County and eastern Frederick County. The USGS said the epicenter was about three miles from Linganore, in Frederick County, and about 11 miles from Westminster in Carroll. A spokesman at Linganore Winecellars in Mount Airy said the vineyard had no awareness of the quake. According to the Richter scale, a 2.0 magnitude earthquake is large enough to be detected but generally not felt.

The Double-A Bowie Baysox announced a raffle to benefit the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. The team is partnering with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to raffle a pair of 2010 season tickets, and 100 percent of every dollar raised will support UNICEF's relief efforts for children in Haiti. Fans can go to baysox.com to purchase raffle tickets. Each ticket costs $10, and fans can purchase as many tickets as they want until the raffle closes at 5 p.m. Jan. 29. The winner will receive a pair of lower reserved seat tickets for all 71 Baysox 2010 home games.

Baltimore restaurants and bars started tweeting cornball drink and dining promotions as soon as 10 minutes after the earthquake hit. That's too soon, far too soon to have a full understanding of casaulties. Plus, none of them was funny. Also done badly -- restaurants that no longer have, forgive the expression, a live person to answer the phone. That's a minor irritant if you're a reporter trying to get information; it's irresponsible in an emergency situtation. Answer your phones.

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck in the Ontario/Quebec border region Wednesday afternoon, reverberating along the East Coast. The quake struck at 1:41 p.m., 33 miles northeast of Ottawa, the nation's capital, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The temblor was felt in Maryland, New York, New Jersey and even parts of Michigan and Illinois, according to the USGS's reporting site. Tremors up to a Modified Mercalli Intensity of 3 were reported in Towson and Baltimore, according to the USGS.

Orioles outfielder Felix Pie said he immediately felt a deep sadness when he heard about Tuesday's catastrophic earthquake that rocked Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. His emotions quickly turned to worry for his extended family, many of whom live in the Caribbean nation that is considered the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. "It's very sad, and you start, like, worrying. I know my mom has family in Haiti and my pop, too," Pie said. "But my mom called me and told me not to worry, that my family over there is OK. And my pop called me to tell me the same thing."

She had endured 33 hours of labor when her baby's head finally appeared Tuesday afternoon. Then the floors at Greater Baltimore Medical Center started to shake, the blinds began to sway and the medical instruments commenced clanking on the table. She heard someone outside the delivery room shout: "Oh, my God! I think it's an earthquake!" Jennifer, 38, freaked. Anxious thoughts crossed her mind. Like having to evacuate the building and deliver the baby outside. Husband Tom, 39, thought his job during the delivery would be easy.

On Aug, 24, 2011, the earthquake that jolted the East Coast from Georgia to Quebec rattled through the bricks, plaster and paint of one of Baltimore's architectural jewels, the Basilica of the Assumption, sending nearly 1,000 linear feet of cracks through its ceilings and walls. On Sunday, as Christians worldwide commemorate the resurrection of Christ on Easter, the 207-year-old cathedral, too, will enjoy a rebirth. Construction workers have put the finishing touches on a seven-month, $3 million restoration job, and Sunday morning's Mass will mark the formal reopening.

Hong Kong residents experienced the effects of an earthquake nearby. Meanwhile, the Internet is coldly ignoring Baltimore's lack of an NBA team today, heartlessly blabbing on about the league's just-passed trade deadline. Welcome to your online trends report for Friday, Feb. 22. An earthquake in southern China created an unusual stir in Hong Kong, which usually does not noticeably feel the effect of such tremors. The 4.8-magnitude quake struck about 110 miles north of the city. Relatively nearby, India and Australia were battling out a cricket test, gaining substantial worldwide Twitter attention.

Ellen Reich's business - run out of her Butcher's Hill rowhouse - has international reach. She's the proprietress (she loves that word) of Three Stone Steps, which sells metal art, recycled jewelry and other intriguing items made by artisans in Haiti, the Philippines and other countries. Founded in 2007, the company specializes in "ethically sourced imports," which combines Reich's love of travel with her social-justice background in the labor movement. What prompted you to start the company?

Description : People from the Carolinas to the Midwest to New England, including Maryland, knew the Aug. 23, 2011, 5.8 magnitude earthquake was rare as soon as they felt its rumblings. But U.S. Geological Survey research has show just how unusual – the quake triggered landslides over an area 20 times larger than previous research has shown to be possible or likely. Researchers : USGS scientist Randall Jibson was the lead author on the study, being published in the December issue of Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

Most remember the rule "stop, drop and roll" when it comes to fires. Federal emergency management officials want to add "drop, cover and hold on" to our memory banks. Those are the instructions given during an earthquake, and people across five states, including Maryland, and the District of Columbia will be practicing them on Thursday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium are holding "The Great Southeast ShakeOut", a widespread earthquake response drill.

The U.S. Geological Survey Saturday reported an early-morning earthquake of 2.1 magnitude in parts of western Carroll County and eastern Frederick County. The USGS said the epicenter was about three miles from Linganore, in Frederick County, and about 11 miles from Westminster in Carroll. A spokesman at Linganore Winecellars in Mount Airy said the vineyard had no awareness of the quake. According to the Richter scale, a 2.0 magnitude earthquake is large enough to be detected but generally not felt.

1st Mariner Arena, which turns 50 next year, was unharmed after today's earthquake. Building inspectors toured the facility after the earthquake and found only a few cracks on the walls. "The building's infrastructure is in solid shape," said spokeswoman Jamie Curtis. Only Cirque du Soleil experienced a glitch as a result of the tremors. The circus was setting up for Wednesday, the first of five nights at the arena, and had to temporarily pause the installation for the building to be evacuated, like most everywhere downtown.  The circus's engineers also toured the venue after the earthquake and found scant damage.

In the middle of an earthquake, some people might think to evacuate, or to crouch in a doorway, or to tweet a joke about where you were when THE EARTHQUAKE struck. Some bars and restaurants see a golden, God-sent even, juicy marketing opportunity. Already the Power Plant Live bars are offering earthquake drink specials. "It's Tremor Tuesday at Power Plant Live!" the Inner Harbor venue said in a tweet. "$2.50 domestics tonight at Mex..Let's shake things up a bit. " Original!

A year ago, life paused for a minute in Baltimore and across a wide swath of the country as the ground shook beneath us. Buildings emptied, text messages flew and everyone asked each other, "Did you just feel that?" The U.S. Geological Surveyconfirmed quickly it was a 5.8 magnitude earthquake 38 miles northwest of Richmond, Va. But there are still unkowns about the rare event, according to the USGS. We have learned some significant things about the quake, though. It was among the largest on the East Coast and may have been felt by more people than any other earthquake in history, according to a USGS podcast looking back at the event . This USGS map comparing the quake with one of a similar magnitude in California shows that while it may not have been as intense as some of the most severe West Coast earthquakes, it could be felt more widely.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake rattled Southern California on Tuesday night. The quake was reported at 11:23 p.m. and was centered around Yorba Linda in northern Orange County. There was no immediate word of injuries or damage, but the quake was felt over a wide area. According to the the U.S. Geological Survey, the temblor struck two miles northeast of Yorba Linda, about 29 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It was felt from Long Beach northwest to Santa Monica, as well as in downtown L.A.