Like many Southerners I received a jolt today around 12:30 p.m. EDT, when I heard and felt a distinct thudding and shaking at my house in Atlanta. After running to my window to make sure no one was breaking and entering, I ventured to the front porch to see if I’d received a delivery—a big delivery, like a furniture-sized box someone had spiked onto my doorstep. (Incidentally a small package was sitting there, and I looked askance at it for a moment.)
By the time I got back to my desk, my Ring app was pinging with neighbors asking one another if they’d felt the earthquake. Another earthquake in Atlanta? (Many residents had felt the tremors of a 4.1-magnitude quake that hit Tennessee just last month.)
I consulted Google, which returned an ominous message: “There are reports of nearby shaking. Check back as more information becomes available.” Social media offered more validation, as posters described their experiences:
But an hour later, the online chatter had gotten much more interesting…and included visuals. This was no earthquake…