Quake in Kent - Did the earth move for you?

[Boddie]

AOL REPORTS

Parts of Kent have been hit by an earth tremor.

The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre recorded a tremor of 5.0 magnitude around 4.3 miles south east of Ashford at 8.18am, according to its website.

Eyewitness Lorraine Muir told Sky News that chimneys had come down, gas and electricity supplies were off and people were being evacuated from their homes by the Salvation Army.

"We've been evacuated by the Sally Army, we've got no gas or electricity at the moment. It's chaos up here at the moment," she said.

The mother-of-four said she was in bed when the earthquake struck.

"I was very, very frightened, I'm still shaking a bit now."

Sharon Hayles, who lives in the village of Stanford near the Eurotunnel at Folkestone, said her house slid from side to side for about 10 to 15 seconds.

There was no damage to her home, but she said the tremor, which hit at 8.18am, shook the house like a "fun fair ride".

Fire officials said they were being inundated with "lots and lots" of calls from residents in the Folkestone area.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "We have had calls from people saying their chimneys have fallen down, and that large cracks have appeared in people's houses."

[Kymba]

I am in Chatham Kent and feel really cheated because we didn't feel a thing
have sat here in hysterics watching SKY NEWS covering this as their major story today..
It has been covering it continuously now for the last TWO and HALF HOURS!!!!!!!!
people calling in to say Tremour was felt for all of 10 seconds!!!! and they were really scared!!
Someone even rang them to see if we were going to get a Tsunami!! What is wrong with these people....
God help us if we have a real Disaster

[Boddie]

At least it wasn't Birmingham again. All our residents were running round saying

"Ours was considerably bigger than yours"


I love it when you ghet a bloke on the telly and he says "It lasted for 5 minutes" because he thinks it makes a geat sound bite. Then the experts say "No it was about 3 seconds" and all the blokes mates are in the pub making hand signals at their ex-mate.

[Kymba]

Well they reckon this one was felt in Essex and Sussex.... which is odd because we didn't feel it !! and Sussex is behind us!!!!

[svenrufus]

Originally Posted by Kymba

Well they reckon this one was felt in Essex and Sussex.... which is odd because we didn't feel it !! and Sussex is behind us!!!!

Nothing felt in this part of Sussex.

Mind you I was once involved in a quake stronger than this (can't remember the level) but was oblivious to it. Very disappointed, but only got myself to blame - I was so hung over at the time the whole world seemed pretty unsteady to me non-stop.

[pressld2]

I'm in North-west Kent, about forty-five miles from the quoted epicentre. Sure enough the whole house started shaking shortly after 8 this morning but that was just my 17 year-old son getting up for work!

Dave P.

[lol geoff]

Why is no one setting up an appeal for us?

We deserately need beer, birds and burgers.........Don't bother sending any blankets, the way the weather's going we won't need them 'till at least autumn.

[wildflower]

It must have been frightening i was living up north wales in the 1980s and we had one then and it happens so fast you dont realise what is happening..I remember jumping up and grabbing the hamsters cage as that was rattling quite loud..Its just a strange experience..fortunately their are not many casualtys..

[honeybee]

Where's Wild Woman? She's Kent isn't she? Can't believe nobody here has yet has reported experiencing anything,hope everyone's ok, been some quite bad structural damage.
I like the appeal, haha!

[Ukwildlifeo]

I blame global warming