There Was a What?

Data from the U.S. Geological Survey indicated that a magnitude
4.3 earthquake struck near Aromas in Monterey County just before
1pm Monday.
Gilroy – Data from the U.S. Geological Survey indicated that a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck near Aromas in Monterey County just before 1pm Monday.

The Survey had received more than 900 reports by the late afternoon, 40 of which came from Gilroy and hundreds more from throughout Santa Clara County.

There were no reports of downed power lines or related fires, according to Gilroy Police Sergeant Jim Gillio, who spoke with the emergency dispatcher.

Throughout the greater Gilroy area, people greeted the small quake with little more than indifference.

“It was just like a jet passing,” said Kim Gussenhoven, who was home near the Eagle Ridge Golf Club when the tremor occurred. “My wife and little girl got nervous,” he said with a chuckle as his daughter’s cries waned in the background.

Over at the Washington Mutual on First Street in Nob Hill, senior teller Karen Trinkaus agreed and said the building trembled a little, but “it was no big deal.”

Despite the proximity, responses were largely muted throughout downtown Gilroy.

“There was an earthquake?” asked Andrea Warren, who works a few blocks down at Collective Past Antiques, where everything remained intact. “I didn’t feel anything,” she said with a shrug.

“I didn’t even feel it,” said Chad Brownfield, an employee at the Vacuum Center on the corner of Monterey Road and Fourth Street.

According to Morgan Hill police and fire personnel, no local residents had contacted them inquiring about the earthquake. 

“I didn’t even know that there was an earthquake today,” said Morgan Hill police dispatcher Toni Maiquez. “Nobody’s called in or said anything all day.”

“I was picking apricots in my backyard around 1pm,” said Dave Ronco of Morgan Hill.”