Smaller earthquakes or tremors feel disorienting at first. You feel a sense that the room is spinning, as if you are becoming dizzy. Usually preceding an earthquake, when the initial tremors hit, you can hear the sounds of things rattling that you have never heard before, like glasses rubbing against each other and windows vibrating. With larger earthquakes, as the earth nearby tears or opens, you can hear a very loud rumbling sound that is similar to a train driving by.