Saturday, September 01, 2007

Out of the Blue! 7.9 quake rocks Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (R21) -- A massive earthquake, initially pegged as magnitude 7.9 on the Richter Scale, rocked the Ann Arbor area Saturday following the University of Michigan's improbable home football loss to 1-AA Appalachian State.

The temblor rocked Wolverine fans already reeling in the aftermath of the No. 5 Wolverines' stunning 34-32 defeat at the hands of the North Carolinians and the seeming end of Michigan's national-title dreams. Information on injuries remains sketchy, and there has been no word on property damage from the quake, which geologists believe was centered on Ann Arbor's Forest Hill Cemetery.

A severely injured cemetery groundskeeper, interviewed at University Hospital by Detroit's WXYZ television, reported hearing a loud whirring sound at the gravesite of former Michigan Coach Bo Schembechler seconds before the ground began violently shaking, with a deep fissure splitting the earth mere seconds later.

Ann Arbor police reported panic in the streets before the earthquake struck, forcing an unruly mob of more than 100,000 to run for safety.

"I've never seen anything like it," said Ann Arbor police Sgt. Rufus Szyszic. "And then the earthquake hit, which was something of a relief for us, because I never want to see such a horrible thing again on that football field.

"Maybe the damage will be bad enough to cancel the rest of the season, so we can have some time to emotionally recover from the game," he added, sobbing.

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