Shallow earthquake jolts Adelaide awake

Updated October 20, 2011 09:26:56

Adelaide residents were woken by a magnitude 3.3 earthquake early today.

GeoScience Australia says the epicentre was in the southern suburb of Upper Sturt about 2:20am ACDT.

Seismologist David Jepsen says some people may have felt a jolt for up to five seconds.

"It was a shallow earthquake and we've had many many fault reports and an earthquake of this magnitude would be felt up to 20 kilometres away from its epicentre," he said.

"People can feel just a small little shake, other people would have felt more of a jolt, it varies depending on where they're located."

He says earthquakes are common in South Australia.

"South Australia has lots of earthquakes. Most earthquakes are in the northern part of South Australia, we get occasional ones down in this area, so it's not uncommon to have earthquakes like this," he said.

They jumped out of bed, they came into our room, we were all awake, we heard the rumble

Nancy Broadfoot, whose children first noticed

Police say there have been no reports of any serious damage.

Upper Sturt resident Nancy Broadfoot says her family was woken as the ground shook.

She says her children first noticed it.

"They jumped out of bed, they came into our room, we were all awake, we heard the rumble ... and we were all up together to feel that," she said.

"Just a rumble, a bit of a shake I suppose and then it was gone."

Topics: earthquake, disasters-and-accidents, community-and-society, upper-sturt-5156, adelaide-5000, sa, australia

First posted October 19, 2011 07:19:08

Comments (74)

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  • ABC (Moderator):

    19 Oct 2011 8:13:21am

    Did you feel the earthquake this morning?

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    • Sarah:

      19 Oct 2011 8:41:01am

      Yes we felt it. We both knew what it was straight away but it felt like a truck was about to come rolling through our house.

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    • Mike Lamborn:

      19 Oct 2011 8:42:38am

      My wife and I were woken by the tremmor this morning at 2.20 am. It lasted for about 8 to 10 seconds and could then hear it fading away. We live at Balhannah in the Adelaide Hills.

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    • Judith Fudge:

      19 Oct 2011 8:45:31am

      I woke up from a dream, then I heard what sounded like mix of very loud rumble for about 3 - 5 secs, the window rattled for abou ta second or two near the end. I looked at the clock and it said 2.22am. I live a Seaton, Levistone Street. No-one else in the home heard or felt it (2 others).

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  • Celia Craig:

    19 Oct 2011 8:20:47am

    Yes, we felt it, very noisy too. The whole house shook. We thought maybe an explosion somewhere because of the noise.

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  • Speed44:

    19 Oct 2011 8:21:31am

    Yep, woke me up here in Highbury in the North Eastern suburbs.

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    • Christie:

      19 Oct 2011 10:37:46am

      I felt it in Highbury too. Woke up to the windows rattling - freaked me out for a second until I worked out what was going on.

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  • Amanda - mt barker:

    19 Oct 2011 8:25:04am

    We live in mount barker and where woken by it. We could hear it coming before the house was shacken.

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  • timelady:

    19 Oct 2011 8:30:29am

    I had gotten to sleep late, and our Jack Russell terrier was restless, whining. I was about to murmur that all was okay, go back to sleep,as I couldn't hear the kids stirring (I had thought it was because my husband was away). Suddenly, there was a growling noise that wasn't my dog, but it was more felt than heard, and about the same time it felt like someone was flicking out the fold in a blanket, the strange roll of the earth. The panes rattled, and the oddest thing - it wasn't until it was over that dogs everywhere in the neighbourhood barked.
    I felt very disturbed, odd, and grabbed my iPhone to check new sites, Twitter, Google Plus, anything for news. Twitter was first off bat, heaps of posts rolled in, some so humorous I lost the odd feeling. It took over an hour to resettle though.

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    • Chris:

      19 Oct 2011 1:15:34pm

      It's quite remarkable how useful twitter is in this situation.

      The quake woke me up and I reached for my phone to confirm it was indeed an earthquake. I reckon it took the twitter world about 30s?!

      I'm sure #adelaide and #earthquake would have been trending locally.

      The best was #ISurvivedTheAdelaideEarthquake2011

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  • Rob:

    19 Oct 2011 8:31:05am

    Yes, heard it at Colonel Light Gardens. Very loud rumble increasing in magnitude for about 5 seconds. Very small jolt. No prolonged shaking.

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  • Tim Angas:

    19 Oct 2011 8:31:17am

    No, I slept through it.
    Same with everyone else in the house,

    I live near the epicentre, so...

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  • Spinner:

    19 Oct 2011 8:35:25am

    No.

    But for all those who did, this should be a timely reminder that Adelaide, and in fact a goodly part of South Australia, lies on the most pronounced fault line on the continent.

    There have been enormous upheavals in the gulf region, leading up through the large lakes into the far north east of the State for millions of years. Things may have been quiet for a few years (geologically speaking), but that is no reason for assuming it is going to stay that way forever.

    Building codes should have reflected the likelihood of future seismic instability, but if they haven't, now would be a good time to start thinking about it.

    Emergency Services could also take this reminder as a cue for incorporating seismic activity in their emergency plans for the future.

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  • Park Holme resident:

    19 Oct 2011 8:36:54am

    Yes, I must've heard it coming because I was definitely awake for the most violent part. Freaked my cat out!

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  • Emma Jane:

    19 Oct 2011 8:38:14am

    I felt it at McLaren Vale. The dogs wouldn't settle last night and were both up and barking as the earth shook. It shook the house, felt like a truck was going through the house.

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  • Gumnut:

    19 Oct 2011 8:39:02am

    Pasadena...woke both of us up, though the kids, both little, didn't peep. Heard it coming from the south-west, the bed definitely shook, and then it passed to the north-east. Like a train passing through with extra shake.

    I think there will be few tired Adelaidians today. Tends to mess up your sleep pattern.

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  • Graham:

    19 Oct 2011 8:42:06am

    Yes we felt it at Greenwith. Sounded like a large truck coming down out street then the house shook for a few seconds.

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  • Joan Smith:

    19 Oct 2011 8:43:51am

    It woke my partner up, I sleep trough anything. We live in the city.

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  • Duncs:

    19 Oct 2011 8:45:08am

    All part of the rapture, ends this Friday. #haroldcamping

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  • Woodside Residents..:

    19 Oct 2011 8:45:58am

    A small rumble was felt in Woodside SA lasting a few seconds shaking the windows and doors.

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  • Alex J:

    19 Oct 2011 8:45:58am

    I have felt the earthquake as it was happening, wasn't sure if it was an earthquake though. I live in Fulham, the whole unit was shacking so where the windows, bit scary

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  • Elvis:

    19 Oct 2011 8:46:45am

    Yes, indeed .. we're about 10 km from the epicentre and it was more of a "wham bam thank you maam", than a long shake!

    I didn't need to leave the building though!

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  • K:

    19 Oct 2011 8:48:15am

    Yes, felt at Holden Hill/Gilles Plains, it actually made the solid timber king size bed move & the rumbling and jolt woke us. Dogs were restless from 1am, now I know why!

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  • Bee:

    19 Oct 2011 8:54:25am

    In Rose Park we heard the rumble approaching, rather like a very large lorry or train, then as it past the house jolted and shook slightly. The rumble continued on into the distance, and we realised it must have been a quake.

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  • Sharna:

    19 Oct 2011 8:58:20am

    My partner and I live in Glenelg North and I woke just before it happened. Being near the airport I though a plane was flying to low at first, all our windows sharted to shake and you could feel it in the bed. My fianc slept right through it lol

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  • Ange:

    19 Oct 2011 9:00:46am

    Yeah! I was jolted awake and like "What was that?" I heard the low rumble here by the beach. Thought a plane exploded in the airport. Then there was silence. No cricket sounds, no ambience, no wind in the trees. Couldn't hear the waves. I got up to check to see if everything was ok and if Adelaide was still here lol. Found my cat hiding under his chair. Was my first Earthquake that I heard and felt. It was kinda cool! But in saying that, we are very lucky we don't have the nasty ones here.

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  • Graham:

    19 Oct 2011 9:03:25am

    Yes at South Brighton. A few seconds of noise like heavy rain and vibration similar to a heavy truck passing. I also think I felt a secondary, less intense event about half an hour later - though that might be half-asleep imagination.

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  • Robyn:

    19 Oct 2011 9:03:55am

    We live at Mount Barker and it woke us up, but not the toddler! The shaking seemed to go on for at least 15 seconds.

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  • Mrs D:

    19 Oct 2011 9:07:35am

    Yes, I felt it. I live in Mile End. Husband slept through it (of course) but in the morning I said to him that I woke from a weird dream and the bed was shaking. Ha! Must've been this, as I looked at the clock and it was about 2:20am-ish.

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  • neil:

    19 Oct 2011 9:12:22am

    Yes woke both of us up at Hallet Cove. Big noise and then rumbling gradually fading for about 30- secs. No need to panic or get out of bed, obvious what it was. Glad it was only small though!

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  • Esbie:

    19 Oct 2011 9:12:33am

    I'm in Bedford Park, living half way into a hill and I definitely heard then felt it. I thought a plane was about to crash into the house it was so loud and violent in my house.

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    • Roxanne:

      19 Oct 2011 9:44:43am

      I too am from Bedford PArk.. and man did i get the shock of my life.. in a deep sleep and to be jolted awake from the sound and the window rattling.. couldnt settle for a while!!!

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  • Chris:

    19 Oct 2011 9:12:34am

    The warmth of the night in the CBD woke me so I turned on the overhead fan. It sounded like it was getting louder and I thought there was something wrong with it when suddenly I felt everything shake around me for only a moment. A slight feeling of fear gripped me but the snoring beside me reassured me that it had all passed. Perhaps I will get those boxes of spring water and store them under the stairs just in case!

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  • spaniard:

    19 Oct 2011 9:16:02am

    ahahh i felt it it was so cool :D

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  • Gary:

    19 Oct 2011 9:17:04am

    Heard a rumble here in Birdwood, thought it was distant thunder.

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  • Angie:

    19 Oct 2011 9:24:21am

    At Seaford,I was actually still up, I felt just a slight rumble for a few seconds, I thought it was a truck going by.

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  • Kezza:

    19 Oct 2011 9:28:52am

    We felt it at Williamstown - heard the rumble coming closer, like a semi trailer, then the windows rattled and the roar faded away. Amazing!

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  • Paul :

    19 Oct 2011 9:35:13am

    Welcome to our frightening world, here in Christchurch we have had about 8,000 aftershocks since Sept 4 2010. 2,452 were between 3 & 4, 323 between 4 & 5 and 29 between 5 & 6 as well as the three big ones go 7.1 and 2 6.3. Like the quakes that woke so many people in SA this morning ours have been unusually shallow and centered beneath the streets of our city. I hope you don't get any more, wouldn't wish them on anyone.

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  • Craig:

    19 Oct 2011 9:39:18am

    So that wasn't a truck driving down my street at 2am after all!!!

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  • Sharon:

    19 Oct 2011 9:41:56am

    Felt it at Wattle Park. Woke up all confused thinking a truck was coming down the street.

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  • Rob :

    19 Oct 2011 9:50:48am

    My sympathies are with residents of our sister city! Having lived through 7697 earthquakes in Christchurch since Sep 4 last year, with 2807 over 3.0, and having our house literally shaken to bits on Feb 22 this year, it is a timely reminder to Adelaide about modern building codes and disaster preparation. Lessons we have learnt - As well as the standard disaster pack of food, drinking water, battery radio etc, don't forget warm clothes, shoes and a torch by the bed. Also in case of an extended period without power - petrol in your vehicles, some cash in your pocket, a non-cordless land line phone, and never ever sleep naked!

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  • Stefan:

    19 Oct 2011 9:54:39am

    I live in Hove and I too was awoken out of my sleep by the tremor around 2:20am as the who house shook and you could hear the earth below rumble. I've never been in an eearthquake or a tremor before but it's amazing how realistic they make the sound effects in movies these days. From that I was very certain of what I just felt and heard. Strangely enough, my workmate lives in North Adelaide Metro which is about the same distance away from me to the epicentre but he did not feel a thing.

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  • Petra:

    19 Oct 2011 9:58:00am

    We noticed it 2 km north of Victor Harbor.

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  • South Plympton witness:

    19 Oct 2011 10:01:51am

    yes. feel it. about 8 to 10 second around 2:22AM. Enough to wake me and my dog up. the shake is rather violent, but the noice is like a train pooling out from the station gently.

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  • Mal:

    19 Oct 2011 10:07:11am

    I was awake about 2.20am when I first heard the rumbling coming from the west, it took about 5 seconds for the jolt to arrive and it was over in a couple of seconds then I could hear the rumble heading off south east. It was very like the 'Bumps' we used to have in the gold mining areas of South Africa when we lived there for a while.

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  • Susan:

    19 Oct 2011 10:18:19am

    Felt and heard it at Kensington Gardens. Sounded like a freight train roaring through and the shaking was quite strong.

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  • m:

    19 Oct 2011 10:29:49am

    hackham-didnt feel or hear a thing.woke for the toilet at 2.20am-maybe this is what woke me??!!no one else woke,not even the kids.dogs were quiet in the street.

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  • Brett:

    19 Oct 2011 10:46:03am

    Woke us up at Vale Park, like a very large truck about to crash into the house, and the house creaked a bit. Local dogs started barking. Seemed a bit bigger than the one a year or two ago, presumably because it was so close / shallow.

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  • Sevva :

    19 Oct 2011 10:50:36am

    My partner and I both heard the rumble (sounded like thunder) while in twighlight mode, then we were rudely woken by the jolt that shook our home. I looked at the time it was 2:24am by our clock. We are in Unley Park.

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  • Shav:

    19 Oct 2011 11:00:29am

    I was awake at the time in Christie Downs. Watching tv ready to head to bed. I thought it was thunder mixed with a truck rolling down the hill, then I felt me couch shaking side to side for a second. Most bizarre and scary feeling I have had.

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  • Gail:

    19 Oct 2011 11:03:57am

    I went to bed late due to study and while getting ready to get in bed I felt strange and looked out the window and thought how odd the moon looked. I could not get to sleep and at one stage it felt like the bed was shaking ever so slightly so woke my husband who said I was dreaming. I still could not settle, checked the TV news, there was no announcemnt then when going back to bed the alarm at Marion Shopping Centre went off (I think), dogs started barking, birds stopped chirping and then after a short time there was an almighty bang, like a thunder clap outside our house and a quick shake. I was shaking and my husband did hear and feel this so we woke the 3 children up for a while just in case.

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  • karol:

    19 Oct 2011 11:04:05am

    live in coromandel valley, was lying in bed trouble sleeping, house started shaking windows rattling and rumbling,husband got up and checked inside and out, no gas on street so not that then realised earthquake

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  • Angel:

    19 Oct 2011 11:06:18am

    I definitely felt it here at Holden Hill, it was a loud deep noise scary sound the next minute everything shook, i was rolled out from my fold up bed and rolled onto the floor i quickly got up and ran to see my mum, the shakind didnt sto for a gd ten seconds! I really hate how it starts off! It took me an hour to calm down!

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  • Wild West:

    19 Oct 2011 11:13:18am

    Woke me with what sounded like a huge crack of thunder, but the sky was clear and funnily enough none of the local dogs barked. I went back to sleep convinced I must have imagined it, until I found out more several hours later.

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  • Sandor:

    19 Oct 2011 11:17:51am

    Yes at St Marys it was more like a bump for about 0.5 seconds, like someone hitting the bed but it felt different, so I thought it probably was a tremor.

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  • Craig:

    19 Oct 2011 11:18:43am

    Yep

    It was around 2.20pm and it woke both me and my wife. She noticed it first. It was a rolling rumble that sounded like a freight train about 60 metres away. It probably lasted about 4 or 5 seconds. We knew straight away what it was because there was a much bigger one a while ago with the epicentre in the mid north.

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  • MikeB:

    19 Oct 2011 11:26:15am

    Yes, I heard it at Campbelltown about 8 km NE of the City.

    Thought it was thunder, but then remembered, its not the weather for it. Then remembered the last earthquake sounded like rolling thunder too. Only more rumbling, and taking longer to fade.

    Wonder how many other quakes, I heard over the years, and didnt realise they were quakes.

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  • Ron :

    19 Oct 2011 11:40:55am

    We felt it .The whole house shook.We are at Belair.
    We aren't far from the railway and we are use to the freight train sounds and vibrations.This was 20 times that sound everything shook. We have never felt a tremmer like this one.It sounded like the the train graiting noise was going in the wrong direction.

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  • Steve T:

    19 Oct 2011 11:42:10am

    I live at Paradise and I thought it was a monster thunderclap as the windows shook quite hard and it was very loud.

    I looked outside but the sky was clear. I wondered if it was a minor earthquake (tremor then really?)

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  • YellowMonkey:

    19 Oct 2011 12:18:43pm

    Felt it near Port Adelaide. Was awake at the time, although others in the house slept through. Low sounding rattle/rumble with noticeable shake. Interesting novelty.

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  • Military Aircraft noise:

    19 Oct 2011 12:22:38pm

    Just another night for those on the rural flight path to Edinburgh/Parafield.. we get this sort of noise so often.. night time military operations (can't be Parafield they say) that shake the windows, sound like thunder, wake you up then leave you wondering whether they'll be back again in 1 hour or just keep droaning on for several... they probably recon only a few houses in the way ... but we sure hear them when they pass over. Welcome to the world of being on the flight path of the local military and pilot training airports ....

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  • R:

    19 Oct 2011 12:46:29pm

    In Mile End. It "woke" me up. I now remember thinking the sound was a random plane or, until I noticed the bed shaking longer and more violently than usual, a truck passing over the (large!!) speed hump in front of our house. I went back to sleep immediately and it was only when I heard this morning there was a quake did I remember that this had happened at all! I confusedly thought it could have happened a few nights ago or in some weird dream. Funny!

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  • Noel:

    19 Oct 2011 12:54:27pm

    We live in Glenside and I had just woken up, which is most unusual for me, I heard a deep low rumble which seemed to be approaching the house from what seemed at the time from the North! Then the rumble turned into a shake under the house, feeling as though the house had dropped a few centimeters - a definate jolt tho' - the rumble passed and I heard it receding into the distance but heading South - odd seemingly that the epicenter was in the South. My wife suddenly woke up (I didn't wake her) - she said she felt quite weird but didn't know why as she hadn't heard or felt the quake !!

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  • Wendy:

    19 Oct 2011 1:02:11pm

    Yep! Hallett Cove was shaking and rumbling, so that wasn't a dream! Can't believe the amount of people that sleep through something like this though!

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  • AOC:

    19 Oct 2011 1:19:54pm

    We live in the CBD and our bedroom is upstairs. I woke up to a rumbling sound like a heavy truck moving down the street, and then felt a gentle shake and the windows rattled loudly for about 5 seconds. My partner woke up too, but the cats did not seem bothered at all. It was an interesting novelty that kept me awake thinking for an hour or so!

    I can understand now how scary a big one would be though. I hope it never happens but I suppose it's inevitable.

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  • Rob:

    19 Oct 2011 1:23:01pm

    We heard a very loud bang in South Plympton that woke us up but the house didn't shake! We thought a lorry had driven past!

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  • allison:

    19 Oct 2011 1:43:18pm

    I live in glenelg north, woke up and two seconds later sounded like a huge truck had roared past my unit, and then a sudden shudder of my unit. Went back to sleep thinking i was dreaming until a client of mine asked if i heard the earthquake. Strange sensation

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  • There'sGotTo Be one:

    19 Oct 2011 1:51:49pm

    Would never have happened if the Liberals were in power. hahahaha Sorry, couldn't resist !!

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  • jonesy junior:

    19 Oct 2011 1:59:49pm

    Yep. At Mile End as well. Was awake and although I've never experienced an earthquake or tremor I knew what it was immediately. Low, deep rumbling followed by a curious house wobbling. Gotta say I actually enjoyed the experience, with respect to those who have had to deal with much more devastating quakes.

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  • Richard:

    19 Oct 2011 2:07:39pm

    We felt the Earthquake in Victor Harbor at 2:20am. Victor Harbor is about 60 kms south of Adelaide.

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  • Ezekiel:

    19 Oct 2011 2:25:17pm

    Live at seaview downs and at 2:22 woke up to what sounded like a jumbo flying right over the top my house but nowhere near a flight path..shaking windows and dogs running around barking .. Lastest 5seconds or so..after it stopped I was wide away and thought was that just a little earthquake!?! Grabbed my phone and looked online but nothing yet..thought sumone else might of posted something. The Shaking was nothing compared to the noise..what would I real big one sound like wow!

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  • Spectroscope:

    19 Oct 2011 2:52:01pm

    Yep. Was lying awake in bed & sounded like a possum running across the roof - but quickly realised it was shaking the whole house so either had to be a very big possum indeed or a quake! ;-)

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  • Paul:

    19 Oct 2011 2:54:15pm

    The roof tiles seem rumble at our place in Crafers West and I was felt the slight motion while lying in bed. Im my dreamy state I thought it must have been very big koalas chasing each other on the roof to cause the house to shake....and then went straight back to sleep.

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  • Graham:

    19 Oct 2011 3:01:20pm

    Here at Wistow in the Adelaide Hills I felt it at 2.22 am. I was dead asleep but new straight away what it was. Compared to my experience of the Kobe quake it was quite tame. Then me and my family were on the 13th floor of a nearby hotel that swayed from side to side and felt very terrifying, but survived with little damage. The Hotel was fastened on big blocks of rubber at ground level.

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