This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

The Lorton Perspective: Where were you when the earthquake hit?

Locals recall their earthquake experience.

Where were you when Lorton started to shake, rattle and roll?

Laurel Becker (with daughter Madeline and son Daniel): “My daughter and I were in the kitchen. I was getting ready to go pick up my son, who is in Junior ROTC. We were reading email, spending a little time with each other, when all the sudden, we looked and each other and said “Is this an earthquake?” We weren’t sure—and then, “This is an earthquake! This is an earthquake!” It was loud, it was a like a freight train going by. It was really scary. We jumped up, and somehow it popped into my head to get into a doorway. Things were rattling, falling off shelves, our kitchen chotchkies were falling off the walls. It was very frightening. But the most frightening thing was afterwards when I stepped out the front door and I tried to call my husband at work, and there were no phone lines. We couldn’t get a local, a cell, nothing. Outside, it was such a beautiful perfect day—all my neighbors were standing on their porches. We were all looking up for some reason and it reminded me of September 11, which was the last time we were all outside looking up, wondering what was happening next. I think half of us were expecting so see some kind of mushroom cloud in the distance. I’ve never had an experience like that before.”

David Stapleton, Assistant Park Manager at Mason Neck State Park: “I was at home sitting at the table eating lunch. I felt the house starting to shake a little bit. At first I thought it might be a train because sometimes I can feel it shake when the train goes across the Occoquan River. And then it got much heavier, and I realized that this was no train. So I jumped up and ran into the hall and waited until it stopped shaking. Afterwards I called into work to see if everyone has experienced what I had. We have hard lines so I could call without using a cell phone. I got right through.”

Find out what's happening in Lortonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mark Ingram, Park Ranger at Mason Neck State Park: “I was at the maintenance shop area of the park, inside the building. The windows and walls started shaking and I thought maybe we were having a delivery—sometimes we get some large trucks coming through. It got stronger and louder, so then I realized we were having an earthquake. Being from Ohio, I’ve been through a couple of them. I ran outside the building and saw all the trucks and vehicles were shaking pretty good. I stood out there in the open space until it was over. Then I called down to the visitor’s center to make sure everyone was all right, which they were. They had evacuated the building.”

Mirta Flores: “I was in my house with my kids—one [was] downstairs, and I was upstairs with my daughter making the beds. We heard some noises and shaking in my room. I thought it was my son jumping around. I said, 'Tommy, stop jumping in my room!' I went into the room and saw that everything was shaking. I grabbed the kids and took them downstairs until it was over. It was really quick, but I was really scared. I’ve never been in an earthquake before.”

Find out what's happening in Lortonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

EJ Velasco, South County Varsity Football Team: “I was walking out of the locker room from practice when the building started shaking. I thought something hit the building, like a car or something. I went into the hall and everyone yelled, 'Get out! Get Out! Get Out!' I was scared out of my mind. You don’t understand—I was scared!”

Devin Van Dyke, South County Varsity Football Team: “I was in the locker room and we thought one of our bigger football players was shaking the lockers. But then it continued to shake, and then so did the ground. We told everyone to shut up and to listen. It was pretty scary, but exciting at the same time because it never happened before.”

Samuel Rojas, South County Varsity Football Team: “I was actually in the main lobby at school sitting down. I felt shaking and I was like, 'What is that?'" I ran outside because I thought something hit the building. I saw everyone running and everything kept moving. It was really exciting for me because it was the first time I’ve ever been through an earthquake.”

Wally Habibi, South County Varsity Football Team: “I was at the house in the bathroom. The next thing you know, everything started shaking. Then I hear my dad say, 'Get out of the house! Get out of the house! Earthquake!'"

Linda LaRochelle: “I was at home at my computer. I heard the washing machine starting to rumble and shake—which it will do. But then I said to myself, 'I didn’t turn on that washing machine.' So I went downstairs and there was a rumbling sound, like a big truck was going by. Then there was almost a cracking sound and a few things fell off some shelves. It was just this force—a very strong force. I thought there must have been an explosion nearby. I’m looking around and out the windows wondering where it was coming from. Afterwards I went out and voted and talked to everyone there about what happened.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?