02-12-2011, 05:08 PM
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:14 PM on 12th February 2011
First there were the blizzards and the freezing winds - now residents in several states are having to deal with a new natural disaster: 'frostquakes'.
The rare phenomenon - which occurs when temperatures drop rapidly and cause ground moisture to violently expand and contract - can be as damaging to building foundations as their more violent relatives earthquakes.
Residents in Ohio and Indiana felt the power of a frostquake first-hand on Thursday, as the cryoseismic activity shook their houses and rattled their nerves.
Emergency management officials told the Dayton Daily News that the quakes, although relatively minor, can still cause damage to property - specifically foundations.
Brandon Redmond, the 911 director of Darke County in Ohio, said the frostquakes began around 1am and lasted intermittently for eight hours.
He said the heaviest quakes were between 5.30am and 7.30am.
Mr Redmond admitted that he was in the shower during one of the heaviest quakes.
It made him rush out of the shower, throw some clothes on, and head outside to see if there had been an explosion nearby.
He said: 'It wasnââ¬â¢t ââ¬Ëtill I came in to work that I realised I hadnââ¬â¢t lost my mind, and I started hearing that other people experienced the same thing.'
As the day went on he began to hear hundreds of similar stories, and messages from concerned residents appeared on the Darke County Sheriffââ¬â¢s Facebook page.
Mr Redmond said consultation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio and Indiana Emergency Management officials led to the frostquake theory.
He said it's not a conclusion that emergency services usually jump to because of the rarity of such a quake in the region.
But the phenomenon has been reported mainly in northern states such as Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts and upstate New York.
Thankfully, there have been no reports of damage.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...erves.html#
Last updated at 5:14 PM on 12th February 2011
First there were the blizzards and the freezing winds - now residents in several states are having to deal with a new natural disaster: 'frostquakes'.
The rare phenomenon - which occurs when temperatures drop rapidly and cause ground moisture to violently expand and contract - can be as damaging to building foundations as their more violent relatives earthquakes.
Residents in Ohio and Indiana felt the power of a frostquake first-hand on Thursday, as the cryoseismic activity shook their houses and rattled their nerves.
Emergency management officials told the Dayton Daily News that the quakes, although relatively minor, can still cause damage to property - specifically foundations.
Brandon Redmond, the 911 director of Darke County in Ohio, said the frostquakes began around 1am and lasted intermittently for eight hours.
He said the heaviest quakes were between 5.30am and 7.30am.
Mr Redmond admitted that he was in the shower during one of the heaviest quakes.
It made him rush out of the shower, throw some clothes on, and head outside to see if there had been an explosion nearby.
He said: 'It wasnââ¬â¢t ââ¬Ëtill I came in to work that I realised I hadnââ¬â¢t lost my mind, and I started hearing that other people experienced the same thing.'
As the day went on he began to hear hundreds of similar stories, and messages from concerned residents appeared on the Darke County Sheriffââ¬â¢s Facebook page.
Mr Redmond said consultation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ohio and Indiana Emergency Management officials led to the frostquake theory.
He said it's not a conclusion that emergency services usually jump to because of the rarity of such a quake in the region.
But the phenomenon has been reported mainly in northern states such as Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts and upstate New York.
Thankfully, there have been no reports of damage.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...erves.html#