Whole Lotta' Shakin' Goin' On

Here, in the North Georgia Mountains, our homes are total electric unless an owner or a builder chooses to have a propane gas tank installed (usually for the purpose of gas logs in the fireplace and possibly an occasional gas connection in the kitchen).

I found that when I came to live full time in the mountains, the security of having heat was a major priority so that I would not have to worry about whatever mother nature might deliver during the winter months. I knew that I did not want to rely solely on total electric in an area that is sure to get its share of snow and power outages. So, I had a propane gas tank installed in addition to my wood burning fireplace and wood burning stove! See, I was a bit of a freak about making sure there was heat. Now, let me just stop right here and say- I despise propane gas tanks. They are ugly and I am petrified of them because I'm so afraid they will explode. Well, that "was" mostly in my head because as for the ugly tank, you can now have them buried and no longer have to look at the unsightly thing (see what I mean) and as for them exploding; extremely slim chance of that happening (there would have to be a gas leak of course). Still, when my tank was first installed, I was very uneasy.

Now, I am a Georgia native and I know the mountains better than most but I must admit, there was an occurrence in the Georgia Mountains that I had never heard of or experienced. Until...!!! I had my gas tank installed (what timing!) I was awakened that very night (tank was installed that day) to a shaking bed. I thought I was dreaming but no, my bed was really moving. I looked at my cocker spaniel and she was on all fours, stiff as a board. She didn't blink an eye or even glance my way, tail tucked between her legs, her body was not moving even when I called her. She looked like she was frozen and as if a shaking bed wasn't alarming enough, wait until you see your dog that way.

I jumped out of bed and felt the floor moving below my feet. I have a grandfather clock that hadn't chimed in over 20 years at that time and the clock was chiming like crazy. I immediately thought the propane tank was about to blow and launch me and my dog into orbit - "Houston, we have a problem!" I figured I had no time to get out of the house since there was a "whole lotta' shakin' goin' on" but I would have to try or at least get ready for take-off... 10, 9, 8 ... and then the shaking stopped almost as quickly as it started. There was an eerie silence that followed and then it hit me - we had just had an earthquake in North Georgia! What! An earthquake in North Georgia! Who would ever believe me when I tell them the story? As it turned out, the earthquake (or perhaps more accurately called an earth tremor - it was an earthquake to me) had been felt in Atlanta, Alabama and as far away as Missouri. Unbelieveably incredible, and for those who remember the Twilight Zone, that's exactly how it felt. Also, people reported their pets acted strangely and the most common reaction that I heard from pet owners was their dog barked and ran around in a frenzy, even cats acted funny.

Here I am a Georgia native and had never heard of tremors in North Georgia. The next day, several of the locals told me that we get a pretty good shake in this area about every ten years. Well, who knew! If I recall correctly, the earthquake originated in Alabama (4.6 Magnitude, April 29, 2003).

The unsightly tank that I so despise for it's ugliness held it's own during the quake and I no longer have the fear I once had of the tank. I guess I don't even worry about tremors, because there was another one in April 2004 and I don't even remember it. I must have slept through that one. It seems laughable to me now, but at the time, it was quite an experience.

More info:

• Slight earthquake causes disaster... on February 20th, 1914, earthquake shocks were felt throughout the Southern Apalachian Region: Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama
  
• South Carolina - another earthquake on September 22, 1914
  
• Georgia earthquake March 5, 1914
  
• Earthquake Safety Tips
  
• history of earthquakes in Alabama
  

Donna Yates, Georgia Realtor with Coldwell Banker High Country Realty of North Georgia located in Blue Ridge. Primarily serving the North Georgia Blue Ridge Mountains, assisting home buyers and sellers nationwide. Thinking about a move to North Georgia? Looking for a Buyer's Agent in Blue Ridge - Contact Donna at 706-633-0644 cell or donna@ellijay.com

See great Georgia mountain homes for sale: www.move2northgeorgia.net (includes western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee)

Edited 2/11/08