2010 Earthquake In Toronto - My Master Survival Plan Suddenly Changed

It all happened yesterday - June 23, 2010. It was a definitely very strange day. I can spot them, but I don't know what will happen. In my case there is usually a strange sense of emptiness, and definitely a string of strange dreams which I had for a whole week. It feels like you are in the bubble, and hear nothing. It happened to me when my aunt died, when the Nimrod crashed back in 1995, and many more other instances.

It was a hot humid day - that was my blame. But there was more. Before lunch, I met up with other women so my son can play with children. In total we had eight to watch. They were all disturbed. Crying, running away, not sharing, pushing each other. I blamed on the hot humid day.

Lunch time. We all cleaned up driveway and went home. My son ate lunch, but then around 1 pm he started to get angry, nervous and cried. I couldn't get a word out of him what was wrong. He talks for a two year old, but still, not this time. Glad that daddy called, so finally he calmed down.

By 1:30 pm Matthew was asleep. I quickly run down to get fruit snack - a sweet juicy watermelon (best fruit for the hot weather). About 1:45 pm, just reading emails. Strange feeling passes through my body first, and then my desk started to vibrate and the vibration is increasing. I didn't kick the desk. I had my hands beside me. The second I saw it - I knew it was an earthquake. Once you experienced one (about 10 years ago), you will remember it forever. This was my second one.

Toronto Earthquake

Calmly I walked over to my son's bedroom. On the way I turned off the ceiling fan - well just in case, you don't want one of those turning and falling on you. I peeked in the bedroom - Matthew was sleeping, bed was moving. I moved closer, and then I saw more shaking, and now Matthew's whole body was vibrating with the bed. Time to act. I only live in the two floor house, so probably being outside away from the building was better place to be. I took Matthew and walked down to the first floor. By the time I got there, it was all gone. It all lasted for about 20 seconds.

I called my husband. 'Did you feel this?' - he said. 'Yes I did' - I replied. 'What was that?' - he asked. I don't remember what I said, but I turned on the TV and there was the breaking news from CP24 - Earthquake shakes Toronto. The conclusion was - 5.0 earthquake shakes Toronto and the surroundings, including my town, Aurora.

Now they are calling for aftershocks. Well I don't know if anyone felt them, but I definitely got them inside me.

I look back.

I had this master plan. I always do - part of my preparedness for earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fires. We all should have some kind of emergency plan. So 'our' plan is to calmly move to safe place depending on the situation. But I always have this 'room or extra time' in my mind for saving my personal belongings.

I look back.

What happened? Okay it wasn't an earthquake of a huge magnitude, but I didn't know that at that time. I headed for my son, and he was my priority. I didn't think once saving anything personal. My master plan definitely changed for better, and I was happy with myself, and the decision I made. On the end we all will make the right decision in case like that.