4.7 Earthquake In Kent

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Reports coming in since 8.15am today of a large tremour or Earthquake in Kent, around Folkstone or Ashford, Eurostar ok, early reports said an explosion but more people saying earthquake.

:scared1:

[natalielongstaff]

dh has just told me !!! it was on the news :scared1:

[Andrew DEREK UK]

dh has just told me !!! it was on the news :scared1:

Yep news coming in

[jen_uk]

OMG :scared1:

[wils]

just seen it on Sky News

Seems to be utter chaos down there

[Goofyish]

Wouldn't like to be going through the Channel Tunnel today :eek:

[denisek]

We live in Hythe and I actually slept through it but woke to hear DH shouting 'earthquake' - I did hear the wardrobe doors banging though. DH said it felt like someone had hold of the end of the bed and was shaking it - we lost power for about 2 hours but all seems to be ok now. DH's cousin lives in Folkestone and has said they've had a lot of cracks appear indoors.

It's been a strange week here as in the early hours of Tuesday morning, I was woken by noise out the back and looked out and the brand new luxury flats they've built behind us were going up in flames! They reckon it's caused £1.5 millions worth of damage and they were a month away from completion, my neighbours heard people and saw flashlights so it looks as though it was arson. Hythe is normally such a peaceful place, nothing happens and now all this in a week!!

Denise

[Andrew DEREK UK]

We live in Hythe and I actually slept through it but woke to hear DH shouting 'earthquake' - I did hear the wardrobe doors banging though. DH said it felt like someone had hold of the end of the bed and was shaking it - we lost power for about 2 hours but all seems to be ok now. DH's cousin lives in Folkestone and has said they've had a lot of cracks appear indoors.

It's been a strange week here as in the early hours of Tuesday morning, I was woken by noise out the back and looked out and the brand new luxury flats they've built behind us were going up in flames! They reckon it's caused £1.5 millions worth of damage and they were a month away from completion, my neighbours heard people and saw flashlights so it looks as though it was arson. Hythe is normally such a peaceful place, nothing happens and now all this in a week!!

Denise


Hope you are ok, BBC news copied and pasted below they have said 4.1>4.7
Sky was on screen as 5.3 when an expert was talking to them saying its 4.1.

The expert said it didnt really matter about the 'point' bit as various stations report in it will go up/down.

BBC NEWS

An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 4.3 has shaken buildings in parts of Kent and left thousands of homes without power.
Emergency services have received reports of structural damage such as cracked walls and fallen chimneys.

There are also 300 "possible gas escapes" being investigated.

The British Geological Survey said the tremor, which occurred at 0818 BST, was the largest British earthquake since the one which hit Dudley in 2002.

The earthquake, which lasted a few seconds, was felt as far afield as Essex, East Sussex and Suffolk.

[Donaldduck66]

OMG. I sure hope no one is hurt. :worried:

[CarolynU]

I live in Hythe too or just down the road in Sandgate about 2 miles from the centre of Folkestone, so hi neighbour LOL
I was sound asleep in bed when everything started shaking violently. First of all I thought that it may be another second world war bomb which has exploded in the English Channel, which has happened before, but it continued for too long. I was pretty shaken up, and felt nauseous for a short while. I remember thinking that if the building is going to collapse then I wouldn't have enough time to escape anyway, and then it stopped. Neighbours all appeared in the streets in their pyjamas, and started talking and using their mobiles.
I heard numerous emergency sirens, burgler alarms etc etc.
Apparently all supermarkets are closed as are petrol stations. Our power has now returned. Friends are calling to check that I'm Ok, and one friend in the centre of Folkestone has cracks in her walls, and her chimney has been destroyed. Not an experience that I hope to repeat.
Carolyn

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I live in Hythe too or just down the road in Sandgate about 2 miles from the centre of Folkestone, so hi neighbour LOL
I was sound asleep in bed when everything started shaking violently. First of all I thought that it may be another second world war bomb which has exploded in the English Channel, which has happened before, but it continued for too long. I was pretty shaken up, and felt nauseous for a short while. I remember thinking that if the building is going to collapse then I wouldn't have enough time to escape anyway, and then it stopped. Neighbours all appeared in the streets in their pyjamas, and started talking and using their mobiles.
I heard numerous emergency sirens, burgler alarms etc etc.
Apparently all supermarkets are closed as are petrol stations. Our power has now returned. Friends are calling to check that I'm Ok, and one friend in the centre of Folkestone has cracks in her walls, and her chimney has been destroyed. Not an experience that I hope to repeat.
Carolyn


Thanks for the report, :scared1: wish you all the best

LATEST BBC NEWS

Earthquake shakes parts of Kent

An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 4.3 has shaken parts of Kent, damaging buildings and disrupting electricity supplies.
Emergency services have received reports of structural damage including cracked walls and fallen chimneys in Folkestone and nearby areas.
The British Geological Survey said the tremor, which occurred at 0818 BST, had its epicentre out in the Dover Straits.
It said this was the largest UK quake since one in 2002 in the West Midlands.
The earthquake was reportedly felt as far afield as Essex, East Sussex and Suffolk.


EDF Energy said it had managed to restore electricity to most of the several thousand homes left without power in the Folkestone and Dover area.
Scottish and Southern Energy, which supplies gas to the area, said it was investigating 300 "possible gas escapes".
"Obviously there is a smell about and people have been reporting it and we have to attend every single report," a spokesman.
"But at the moment we are not sure if it is natural gas brought up by the earthquake, which can happen, or leaks from pipes."
Significant tremor
David Booth of the British Geological Survey said the tremor, which lasted a few seconds, was of a sizeable magnitude.
"It's certainly the largest in the UK since an earthquake in Dudley in the West Midlands in 2002 and that also caused damage. So this is a very significant tremor."

Dr Brian Baptie, also of the British Geological Survey, told BBC News 24 that the epicentre was seven miles (12km) south of Dover, out in the English Channel.
Randy Baldwin from the US Geological Survey, which monitors earthquakes, said the tremor had a preliminary magnitude of 4.7.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it had received more than a 100 emergency calls and was having to deal with "several incidents".
Most of these were reports of structural damage, but a fire engine had also been sent to Folkestone to investigate a "smell of gas".
A Eurostar spokesman said everything was running normally in the Channel Tunnel.
Violent shaking
Sharon Hayles, from Stanford near the Eurotunnel terminal at Folkestone, said her house slid from side to side for about 10 to 15 seconds.
Another Folkestone man told BBC Five Live Breakfast that his whole house "shook quite violently".

Eyewitness Lorraine Muir said: "We've been evacuated by the Sally Army; we've got no gas or electricity."
Paul Smye-Rumsby, who lives in Dover, said: "It was about 08.15 when suddenly the bed shook violently.
"I thought my wife had got cramp or something but then I saw the curtains were moving and the whole house was shaking. It lasted about 1.5 seconds.
"All the power is off and we have got the portable radio on. People are standing outside talking to each other about it."

Quakes in the UK

December 2006 - Dumfries and Galloway (3.5 on Richter scale)
2002 in Warwick (4.2)
September 2002 - Dudley, West Midlands (5.0)
October 2001 - Melton Mowbray (4.1)
April 1990 - Bishop's Castle, Shropshire (5.1)
July 1984 - Nefyn, north Wales (5.4)
June 1931 - in North Sea near Great Yarmouth (6.1)

[Claire L]

Nothing felt here along the coast near Eastbourne! According to the United States Geological Survey (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Maps/region/Europe.php) it was nearer to Canterbury than the Englsih Channel, as most UK media are reporting.

Hoping no one has too much damage.

Claire ;)

[scottishsue]

I am just catching up with this as I haven't had my t.v. on this morning.

Just hope everyone is ok and that there hasn't been too much damage.
Is this all to do with Global warming?

This country never had things like this before.

[florida sun]

Hope everybody affected by this is ok and there is not too much damage:hug:

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I am just catching up with this as I haven't had my t.v. on this morning.

Just hope everyone is ok and that there hasn't been too much damage.
Is this all to do with Global warming?

This country never had things like this before.

Not to do with Global warming its rare but happens and Dover up the road had one before, simular in nature.

[eyoreaud]

Oh my!

I have only just put the tv on so didn't notice anything had happene till now, I hope evryone is ok :hug:

[pokemon_master]

I saw this today, I hope everyone is alright!! :hug:

[DisneyJo]

We didn't feel anything here! Hope everyone's OK:hug:

[natalielongstaff]

glad to hear everyone seems ok :hug:

[Andrew DEREK UK]

4PM News one injured only, 300 gas leaks, some people out of homes.

[tashasmum]

I am just catching up with this as I haven't had my t.v. on this morning.

Just hope everyone is ok and that there hasn't been too much damage.
Is this all to do with Global warming?

This country never had things like this before.

It has nothing to do with with Global warming but no doubt someone on the news will try an attribute it to it.

We have had numerous Earthquakes and tremors in the UK. I can remember at least 5 in the last 20 years.

[tashasmum]

just checked on the BGS website

Do earthquakes occur in Britain?

YES, between 200 and 300 earthquakes are detected and located in the UK, by the British Geological Survey annually. Although distant from the nearest plate boundary, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, earthquakes occur as crustal stresses within the tectonic plates are relieved by movement occurring on pre-existing fault planes. The risk from these earthquakes is not insignificant and must be considered when engineering for sensitive installations.


FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE OF MAINLAND UK EARTHQUAKES (BASED ON OBSERVATIONS BETWEEN 1979 AND 1994)

Magnitude(ML) Average
5.0 and higher every 8 yrs
4 - 4.9 every 2 yrs
3 - 3.9 3/yr
2 - 2.9 26/yr
1 - 1.9 140/yr

So its nothing unusual just lets hope no-one is hurt

[KayleeUK]

Glad there was no injuries - what a shock though.

Denise - will email you soon :hug:

[Gonz Of Lancashire]

My Dad is in Folkestone at the moment and he rung me up this morning. He said it felt like the house was lifted and then dropped. There is damage to the chimney, some of the interior walls and ceilings are cracked and the power was out for a while. However, it was good to see Sky News blowing everything out of proportion, their relationship with the equally over-dramatic Fox News grows more obvious with every scoop.