Whenever we try to think about the problems the country faces our head starts to hurt and we crave chili fries. This is why corn-dog scarfing cyborg Michele Bachmann is sure to win the presidency in 2012: she offers simple explanations to complicated problems. Just a few days ago, Bachmann told us that when she's president, she'll lower the price of gas to $2 gallon. How? Shut up, that's how! So we were relieved when we heard Bachmann's explanation at a campaign appearance in Florida this weekend for why the Northeast has been hit with a Hurricane and an earthquake in less than seven days. HINT: He's omniscient and bearded and was named-dropped a few times at last night's VMAs. more ›

Really, Brooklyn? Citizen Ink Studios in Sheepshead Bay is offering up a "Survived the Quake" tattoo to their customers... and people are getting it! 25-year-old owner Joe Khay says it took him five minutes to sketch the design, which he posted on Facebook and was meant to be a joke. But Jonathan Berg, a 21-year-old regular customer, came in and got the design permanently inked onto his torso for $30. more ›

So yesterday we had our first notable earthquake in generations, and suffice to say, we didn't handle it very well. Next month we've got the tenth anniversary of 9/11, and this weekend we're now being told to batten down the hatches in preparation for the possible arrival of Hurricane Irene (the city's tips on preparing are here!). But all of these visions of cataclysm have us wondering...has anybody actually bothered to make one of those "go bags" that we're all supposed to have? more ›

Now that we've all got a soothing cup of coffee in hand, let's take a closer look at the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked the East Coast yesterday. Beginning at 1:51 p.m., the quake lasted between 20 and 30 seconds. The USGS reported two aftershocks of magnitude 2.8 and 2.2 within 90 minutes of the initial quake. People felt the quake from Ontario all the way down to Alabama, because "it was a shallow earthquake, and geological conditions in the eastern U.S." make for a widely shared experience. Why? "Western rock is relatively young" ("impudent," lets say?) and absorbs the violent shaking near the epicenter, while eastern rock is "far older, and so earthquakes can have a much larger and more widespread impact." more ›

Maybe it's time to revisit the Depthscraper? According to Modern Mechanix, back in 1931 some of Japan's engineering brains were devoted to creating earthquake-proof structures. Noting that tunnels and subterranean structures suffer less in seismic tremors, they proposed the Depthscraper, "whose frame resembles that of a 35-story skyscraper of the type familiar in American large cities; but which is built in a mammoth excavation beneath the ground." more ›

In the aftermath of today's earthquake we've looked at funny tweets and seismic videos, earthquake-related eats, checked in on our local nuclear plant and gotten some tips on how to survive another one. But for a little more information on what exactly occurred today, we turned to Larry Brown, a Cornell University professor of geology in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the director of the Institute for the Study of the Continents. more ›

A nuclear power plant located 27 miles from the epicenter of today's earthquake in Mineral, Virginia has been shut down. Reuters reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission pulled the plug after the 5.8 magnitude earthquake, but another nuclear plant in Surry, Virginia, 103 miles from Mineral, remains operational. Indian Point, the nuclear power plant located 35 miles from New York City, "is operating normally" following today's earthquake, Entergy spokesman Jim Steets tells us. more ›

Where were you when the earthquake of 2011 hit?! If you were videotaping something for YouTube, send us a link—because right now, the well is pretty dry. But there are some gems... which you can watch below. more ›

New York just had itself an earthquake—the first one that many New Yorkers have ever felt—and you know what we learned? Most of us aren't exactly sure what the hell to do in an earthquake. Sure, some people evacuated their offices, but many did so via elevators. And then they just milled about outside, leaning on buildings. So, now that we've all caught our breath, here are a few tips on what to do in the case of another one (as well as in today's aftermath). more ›

Milkshake, anyone? What to eat right now. more ›

The FDNY and the US Geological Survey has confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in central Virginia. Residents of Manhattan and Brooklyn have reported feeling the earthquake as well. Gothamist HQ was rocking like a hurricane just minutes ago. Updates to follow. more ›

After weeks of ominous BQE billboards, caravans of catastrophe, and CDC Zombie Apocalypse guides, Judgment Day 2011: Go Rapture Or Go Home is finally here! Rapturist assistants are standing by with all your relevant questions on Twitter, and—oh, you're still skeptical? You're wondering why we haven't heard any reports of New Zealand's destruction, since it was 6 p.m. there hours ago? Well suck on this nonbelievers: there was an earthquake...near the South Sandwich Islands. more ›

[Update below] On top of everything else, Japan's tourist industry has taken a nose dive since the triple-punch earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear threat rocked the island nation last week. The Japan National Tourism Organization doesn't yet have any statistics about booking cancelations, but the AP reports that Americans are canceling or postponing upcoming trips to Japan. And the flip side of this is that Japanese travelers are canceling their vacations to the U.S. more ›

Is it just us, or does yesterday's earthquake already seem a distant memory? We didn't even feel it over at Gothamist headquarters, but apparently many other people did, so we're probably just being insensitive. Though the epicenter was 300 miles north on the border of Ontario and Quebec, we were treated to 30 seconds of tremors in NYC. In downtown Brooklyn, NY1 spoke with some locals who felt the earth move under their feet. "Some of our chairs were shaking, some of our fans began making strange noises," said one. "Many of us decided to leave the building at that point." And in Manhattan, one Dave Steinberg said, "For about twenty seconds the building was just swaying, it was absolutely incredible." more ›

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake in Ontario caused multiple buildings shake from tremors in NYC, New Jersey, and as far away as Ohio. There are no reports of injuries or damage in NYC at this time, but who knows, maybe this is only the beginning. According to the United States Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program, it started at 1:41:42 p.m., was centered near the Ontario-Quebec border, and its epicenter was closer to Montreal and Ottawa than to Toronto, where "plenty of buildings were evacuated in the immediate aftermath of the quake," Torontoist reports. more ›

A team of New York architects has designed a vinyl, octagonal structure they hope to set up in Haiti to help those left without housing after the January 12th earthquake. The 166 square foot structures are designed to withstand wind, hurricanes and earthquakes, and can be mass produced for about $3,000 each. HaitiSOFTHOUSE project manager Rodney Leon said, "There are people who are in these vulnerable conditions every day that can't live in those situations very long without getting sick. So we wanted to find something that was somewhere between a tent and a permanent house." more ›

At least 30 Haitian survivors who had been sent to the U.S. in the aftermath of the earthquake have been locked up in detention centers in Florida since their arrival. They were all evacuated too quickly for immigration processing, but have been kept in immigration custody as deportations back to Haiti have been indefinitely suspended. The New York Times reports that dealings with Haitian refugees have been varied and random, with some receiving "humanitarian parole" status, some getting tourist visas that prevent them from working, and others being kept in detention. more ›

Hooo boy. Former President's Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made their first joint visit to Haiti this week to help with the relief effort in Port-Au-Prince. But while the two of them shook hands with a local crowd, Bush looks at his hand, wipes it on Clinton's shirt and then turns away from the crowd (money shot at around 0:13). Clinton doesn't seem to notice, and continues shaking hands and taking pictures with the crowd while Bush presumably runs back to his convoy to administer a cootie shot. [Via Mediaite] more ›

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Grammy Award-winning singer Wyclef Jean's charity Yele Haiti received millions of dollars of donations before coming under fire for years of shaky accounting and reports that the nonprofit had given $410,000 to businesses tied to Jean. Now, according to Yele sources and tax documents, it appears that the former Fugee paid his personal assistant and mistress $105,000 in 2008—more than three times the salary of the program's director, according to Gawker. more ›

After an 8.8 earthquake struck off Chile's coast yesterday, a tsunami warning was issued around the Pacific. Though there were fears that waves as high as 6 to 10 feet could hit the Hawaiian islands—prompting residents and tourists to flee to higher ground—there were only "erratic surges in the sea." more ›

At 1:34 a.m. EST, an 8.8 earthquake was registered along the cost of Chile, 70 miles from Concepcion and 200 miles from the capital of Santiago. CNN reports numerous aftershocks—some as big as 6.9. Seventy-eight people are dead, but Chilean President Michelle Bachelet thinks the toll will be greater, adding, "We are taking all the necessary measures at this time." According to CBS News, the earthquake prompted the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a "tsunami warning — its highest alert — for Hawaii... A warning was also in effect for Guam, American Samoa and dozens of other Pacific islands. The first waves were expected to arrive in Hawaii at 11:19 a.m. Saturday (4:19 p.m. EST)." Hawaiian residents are being evacuated and sirens will be sounded. more ›

This week EphemeralNY recalled the New York City earthquake of 1884. That's right, we're not immune to natural disasters. On August 10th of that year, an earthquake estimated to be at a magnitude of 5.5 hit — it was believed to be centered off Far Rockaway or Coney Island. more ›

Verizon announced today that it will waive long-distance fees on all calls to Haiti. That means that whomever you're calling—rescue workers, earthquake victims, or Scientologists—you won't have a hefty phone bill. "We want to help alleviate some of the agony being experienced by our customers trying to reach loved ones in Haiti," said Susan Retta, a Verizon executive, in a statement. The offer works on both cell phones and landlines, and the phone company will even give refunds for past calls after January 12th. Okay, it's only good up until the end of the month, but Haiti's sure to be back on its feet in a couple weeks, right? more ›