Before I moved to Dubai, I was assured that the UAE is one of the safest places to live. Besides the low crime, the chance of an earthquake, flooding, tsunami, hurricane or tornado are very rare. In fact I was told, it would never happen. The only thing that happens in Dubai are sandstorms.
Today @ 2:00 PM, our residential apartment, the Princess Tower, began to sway and shake back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Not for a few minutes, but over 5 minutes. Finally the swaying stopped, then it started up again. Here we go again. The swaying made me a little nauseous. Could this really be happening ?!
Come to find out, a 7.8 earthquake had hit Iran and we could feel it in Dubai.
Jeff and I sat and looked at each other in disbelief. Were we really feeling an earthquake shake and sway our VERY tall apartment building. Yes we were !!
On the 58th floor, the building really sways ! I could only imagine being on the 101 floor of the building.
When the swaying and shaking started up again, Jeff and I hurriedly found our shoes and made a decision to get to the ground floor - fast. Not thinking clearly, we got in the elevator with other nervous tenants that had come from higher floors. They wanted to validate what they felt. Yes we felt it too.
The elevator usually clips along so fast that your ears pop as it speeds up or down, Not this time, the elevator struggled to get to the ground floor, each of us commenting that we maybe should have taken the stairs instead.
Finally it made it to ground level - yippee -the door opened and we all popped out never happier to be on the ground floor.
The residential towers all around us had been evacuated. Nervous residents and workers standing around, talking on their phones or wondering what to do next.
I love my new apartment on the 58th floor, but after swaying and shaking I am now a little nervous and had so many questions. Is this super tall building earthquakes proof ? How far can one tall building sway ? How much swaying can one tall building experience ?
Don't ever say "never". I was told earthquakes are never felt in Dubai. The "never would happen", happened today.
Today @ 2:00 PM, our residential apartment, the Princess Tower, began to sway and shake back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Not for a few minutes, but over 5 minutes. Finally the swaying stopped, then it started up again. Here we go again. The swaying made me a little nauseous. Could this really be happening ?!
Come to find out, a 7.8 earthquake had hit Iran and we could feel it in Dubai.
Jeff and I sat and looked at each other in disbelief. Were we really feeling an earthquake shake and sway our VERY tall apartment building. Yes we were !!
On the 58th floor, the building really sways ! I could only imagine being on the 101 floor of the building.
When the swaying and shaking started up again, Jeff and I hurriedly found our shoes and made a decision to get to the ground floor - fast. Not thinking clearly, we got in the elevator with other nervous tenants that had come from higher floors. They wanted to validate what they felt. Yes we felt it too.
The elevator usually clips along so fast that your ears pop as it speeds up or down, Not this time, the elevator struggled to get to the ground floor, each of us commenting that we maybe should have taken the stairs instead.
Finally it made it to ground level - yippee -the door opened and we all popped out never happier to be on the ground floor.
The residential towers all around us had been evacuated. Nervous residents and workers standing around, talking on their phones or wondering what to do next.
I love my new apartment on the 58th floor, but after swaying and shaking I am now a little nervous and had so many questions. Is this super tall building earthquakes proof ? How far can one tall building sway ? How much swaying can one tall building experience ?
Tremors are expected to be felt in the future because of the magnitude of the earthquake ( 7.8) . Now that I know what to expect, I am even more nervous.
Don't ever say "never". I was told earthquakes are never felt in Dubai. The "never would happen", happened today.
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