Earthquake!

Compared to Japan, buildings in Hong Kong seem very flimsy.   Many towers have holes in them or, like ours, an 'empty' ground floor.   This is good feng shui since it keeps unobstructed dragon lines between the mountains and the water.   But it won't be very lucky in a strong earthquake.  

'Empty' ground floor in Parkview tower

Fortunately Hong Kong doesn't get earthquakes.  Or rather, not often, and not big ones.  

On Friday I definitely felt the ICC 'jump' slightly.  My colleagues either didn't notice it, or put it down to unusually vigorous window cleaners (seriously!).  They were later surprised to learn there had been a magnitude 4.8 quake, 180km to the north at a depth of 11km.   It was only the 69th quake felt in Hong Kong since 1979, and was front-page news.

In Japan, an incredibly sensitive array of sensors detects the first primary-waves of each earthquake.  Within seconds high-speed computers triangulate the location and estimate the intensity.   If its is a big quake, warnings are instantaneously dispatched by radio to the areas at risk, triggering alarms on mobile phones.  Often you have several seconds to turn off the gas and take cover before the slower but more violent S-waves arrive and start shaking the building.

In Hong Kong, if you feel an earthquake, you can phone the Hong Kong Observatory.  They will go and look for it, and after an hour or so will issue a bulletin : 'yes that was an earthquake'.

Hong Kong Observatory.  Bulletin issued at 11:43 HKT 22/Feb/2013
Locally Felt Earth Tremor Report
The Hong Kong Observatory has received reports of earth
tremor felt by local residents. The Observatory is
analysing the data. Further information will be released
when available.

Bulletin issued at 12:27 HKT 22/Feb/2013
Locally Felt Earth Tremor Report
(Update) Initial analysis from the Hong Kong Observatory
indicated that an earthquake of magnitude 4.8 has occurred
at 11:34 a.m. on 22 February 2013 (Friday) Heyuan,
Guangdong. The epicentre is located near 23.9N, 114.5E,
about 180 kilometres north of Hong Kong Observatory.