Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Fri, Oct 17 2003
Fourteen Years Ago Today
The third game of the World Series was starting. I can't even remember which teams were playing that day, but like everyobe else who experienced the Loma Prieta quake, I remember exactly where I was when it happened.
The USGS has pictures of the widespread damage. Most of the media attention was focused on San Francisco and Oakland, but smaller towns such as Watsonville, Hollister and Santa Cruz were greatly affected. The Watsonville Community Airport was the only way in and out of the southern end of Santa Cruz County for days, due to damage on roads and bridges. The National Guard and other agencies flew in supplies and provided additional security in the first few days when power was out and there was fear of looting. We live almost "next door" to the airport now, but were in Campbell (near San Jose) at the time of the quake. That first night we slept in a hallway (because nothing was in it to fall on us during aftershocks). We kept flashlights along side us and played a radio for news and comfort. The floor felt like jello. Later we were told by "experts" that a lot of the shaking we thought we felt was not caused by aftershocks, but was our own nerves giving us "micro-quakes ". These transcripts of 9-1-1 tapes from that day gave me chills as I read them.
A lot of people talk about "the big one". I hope that was the biggest one I ever have to go through.
posted at: 10:48 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
The third game of the World Series was starting. I can't even remember which teams were playing that day, but like everyobe else who experienced the Loma Prieta quake, I remember exactly where I was when it happened.
The USGS has pictures of the widespread damage. Most of the media attention was focused on San Francisco and Oakland, but smaller towns such as Watsonville, Hollister and Santa Cruz were greatly affected. The Watsonville Community Airport was the only way in and out of the southern end of Santa Cruz County for days, due to damage on roads and bridges. The National Guard and other agencies flew in supplies and provided additional security in the first few days when power was out and there was fear of looting. We live almost "next door" to the airport now, but were in Campbell (near San Jose) at the time of the quake. That first night we slept in a hallway (because nothing was in it to fall on us during aftershocks). We kept flashlights along side us and played a radio for news and comfort. The floor felt like jello. Later we were told by "experts" that a lot of the shaking we thought we felt was not caused by aftershocks, but was our own nerves giving us "micro-quakes ". These transcripts of 9-1-1 tapes from that day gave me chills as I read them.
A lot of people talk about "the big one". I hope that was the biggest one I ever have to go through.
posted at: 10:48 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry
