5 Years Ago Today: The 6.8 Nisqually Quake, WA State

[Zomby Woof]

Anyone here remember that one? That was quite a 45 second ride. :D :scared: :bounce: Or share your memories of a significant natural disaster here... :-)

Went to sign a lease for a new apartment that day. Guess that was good timing. If there was damage, I could have backed out, lol.

The best part was watching the couple I worked with from Boston as their faces turned even whiter than they already were. :evilgrin:

[zanne]

1. I remember it because...

It changed Bush's mind about getting rid of FEMA.

[uppityperson]

7. Is that when he decided to get rid of FEMA?

[zanne]

10. It was shortly before the earthquake...

I remember thinking "Wow--that would have been a disaster". Little did I know that there would be many disasters to come.

[UrbScotty]

18. "Many disasters to come" - not the least of which is his presidency (nt)

[uppityperson]

20. I gave a talk at a Katrina relief benefit this wkend, "largest disaster...

to hit the USA. Sorry, I meant largest natural disaster" to which there were many laughs and a couple calls of "george bush". His reign has been a disaster.

[Dave Reynolds]

2. I was working in Everett, WA at the time,

cracked the floor of the lab and buckled the parking lot.

I actually got motion sick from the seemingly endless undulations of the floor.

[Hugin]

3. LOL! I remember it because my new iMac was delivered as I heard the news..

I figured Bill G. was a little angry with me.

;)

[uppityperson]

4. I was on computer

waiting for the rolling to stop so I could go outside. Bamboo shaking like crazy. Called the school where everyone was freaked out, went to pick up child. 5 yrs? Wow.

[Tom Kitten]

5. I was in Portland

and I felt it...rattled the dishes in the cupboard...

[Syncronaut Seven]

15. I was in Portland too!

I was in a big warehouse in Hillsboro, when I heard the timbers creak, I boogied. California born, I've ridden out "sevens" so when the earth moves, so do I.

Got a long view of Corneleius pass road and got to see it wave like the open ocean. Absolutely freaky.

[NNadir]

6. I remember that quake. I was killed in it, in fact...

...I have been posting from the afterlife ever since.

[Hugin]

8. I'm sorry for your passing...

Hope it was pleasant.

[NNadir]

11. Nah, I'm in hell. Hell is a place where a retarded Repuke occupies the

White House.

Eat your wheaties or whatever you were supposed to do to keep out of hell.

It sucks.

[Hugin]

12. Yow, I must be in Hell as well.

*snaps fingers*

I knew it!

[NNadir]

13. Was I right? Doesn't it suck?

[SeattleGirl]

9. I was in Pt. Angeles that day, visiting one of the offices

I was district manager for. We were in the office, and everything started shaking. One of the women had her dog there -- he was very old, and slept most of the time. She snatched Mr. Lincoln from his bed, and all of us ran outside. Yeah, they say not to do that,but there was nothing around that could have fallen on us. I tried to call Mr. SG and my daughter, but couldn't get through for awhile. My daughter finally got through to me -- she was freaked out because she couldn't reach me for over an hour.

[Missy Vixen]

14. Oh, yeah, I remember it

>That was quite a 45 second ride.<

I was at the eye doctor's. I'm not especially enamored of going to the eye doctor under the best of circumstances. The office building we were all in was built on rollers, so the building shook for quite awhile after the earthquake was over. I was waiting in an examination room for the doctor; I went out into the hallway. Lots of white faces. I said, "Group hug!" and held out my arms. Everyone joined in, even the doctors. This was the scariest one I can remember since the 1965 earthquake.

DH was at the office with his coworkers and our friends Scott (lived in Boston, had never been in an earthquake,) and Meddy (lives in Atlanta, had also never been in an earthquake.) Scott and DH hit the floor under DH's desk for some shelter. Poor Meddy was so scared that she got back in her rental car the minute she could get out of the (seriously damaged,) office building and drove to Sea-Tac Airport, thinking she'd fly home on the spot. Sea-Tac was closed for several days due to damage. Scott ended up at the massage therapist the next morning for several pulled muscles, bumps and bruises.

I arrived home with takeout sandwiches; I wasn't sure if we'd have to shut the gas off in our house or whether or not we still had power. DH told me not to go inside till he could get there. There was a huge knot of neighbors standing around in the street talking about their experiences; they'd all arrived home from Microsoft's campus. Our neighbors two doors down are from England. The mother stalked outside, eyed the neighbors standing around telling Earthquake Stories, snapped, "That's it, we're going HOME," and went back in her house and slammed the front door. They're still here.

Julie

[Dave Reynolds]

16. My first words to my coworkers were

"holy shit, did California just slide off?"

[Missy Vixen]

17. LOL!

>"holy shit, did California just slide off?"<

I understand that some people think earthquakes are fun. I'm not one of them.
Julie

[FVZA_Colonel]

19. I was at school (9th grade), sitting in art class,

when all of a sudden the floor started shaking. One of my classmates, who wasn't too bright, remarks "Mr. Hamilton, the floor is moving." And with that, we all dove under our desks.

[SOteric]

21. I haven't been comfortable on the Alaskan Way Viaduct since.

But I do love the view from there on a sunny day.

[Evergreen Emerald]

22. It was the day I realized I was a horrible mother.

I was at work, about 30 minutes from my daughter's school. I had recently started a new job. I was sitting at my desk when the earthquake hit. I was one of a few in the office who had the sense to get under my desk. It seemed to go on for a long time, but there was no injury or damage in our building.

I immediately called my daughter's elementary school. She was in the sixth grade. I was lucky to get through, I think it was because I called so quickly before the lines got jammed. They said everything was fine, no injuries or damage.

After school, I picked her up to find that she was one of only a few children left in school. Nearly every other parent had picked up their children just after the earthquake. My poor daughter. To this day, I occasionally apologize to her for leaving her there.

It honestly did not occur to me to go get her! We had an earthquake, the school assured me everything was fine, and I went on with my day!