The biggest earthquake I've been in was the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. I was 12 years old, and at soccer practice. As far as sound goes, I remember a dull rumble, not extremely loud. The ground moved side to side then up-and-down, and the up-and-down played hell with the visuals; it's hard to keep looking in one direction while the ground is moving up and down, which tilts your head down and up.
I was one of the few who stayed standing; most people duck-and-covered, which I considered a bit silly; we were in the middle of a soccer field! I'd guess that standing increases the sense of motion quite a bit, since you balance on your legs, and feel the ground moving beneath your feet.
The trees were shacking and moving around as if in a strong wind, but back and forth (as opposed to in one direction). They stopped moments after the quake did. Don't remember anything about animals.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ninetydegrees
Earthquakes
2007-12-10 19:56 (UTC)I was one of the few who stayed standing; most people duck-and-covered, which I considered a bit silly; we were in the middle of a soccer field! I'd guess that standing increases the sense of motion quite a bit, since you balance on your legs, and feel the ground moving beneath your feet.
The trees were shacking and moving around as if in a strong wind, but back and forth (as opposed to in one direction). They stopped moments after the quake did. Don't remember anything about animals.