The word on the street is that we had an earthquake on the East Coast. It was even felt up here in New York, though not by me. It was apparently more noticeable in New York City, but in the surrounding area, experiencing the earthquake depended on being near the coast, on a higher floor in a building, or in bed staring at the ceiling.

Not to be outdone, of course, Hurricane Irene has decided that she needs attention, and so talk has turned from the fairly anti-climactic ‘earthquake’ to the exciting new prospect of floods, felled trees, and power outages. It is claimed that Irene will be the worst storm in the area since 1938.

As far as natural disasters go, we in the Northeast of the United States usually have it easy. Blizzards, sure, but an earthquake and a hurricane? In the same week? Might it really be the end of the world as we know it? Continue reading →