Another Anniversary

Dateline: SF Bay Area. 17:04 hours Pacific Time. Tuesday, 17 October 1989.
Major temblor measuring 7.1 on the Richter Scale rattled through the Greater Bay Area.

I was on vacation that week. I didn't go anywhere special. I just hung out around my flat that I shared with three hets. The World Series was being touted as the long awaited "Battle of The Bay". SF Giants v. Oakland Athletics. I was bored. So I was out visiting some neighbors in the flat above the rear carport.

Chris and, his wife Donna, always had the best KGB. (Which is tame when compared to the medicine of today). Chris had the bud, Das Behr had the bowl, it was a pleasant visit. Until 17:04 in the afternoon when the apartment above the carport began to move.
There we were, all four of us, looking at each other and thinking aloud "This shaking can stop any time now". Well, when the 'p-wave' subsided, the more destructive 's-wave' began- violently.

"It's... not... stop... ping!" I shouted.
"It's been more than ten seconds!" noted Dave.
"Everyone, get into a doorway!" yelled Chris

Following basic earthquake safety procedures, four people braced themselves in four interior doorways. Violently nasty shaking in excess of 28 seconds. Finally, it ended. Das Behr had bruised arms from being thrown back and forth in the wood framed door way. When reality struck, I panicked. I flew downstairs to my flat to survey damage if any.

After shock #1: A 5 pointer.

If anyone thinks that the earth is solid beneath their feet, they've never been in an earthquake. During the first after shock, I had eye-witness account that although the earth may appear solid, it also ripples. I watched in disbelief, as my livingroom floor moved in a wave-like ripple. The exterior walls didn't skip a beat, for the walls merely followed suit and rode the earth wave. Checking upon the contents of the apartment proved that nothing was broken.

Yet there was a one foot wave running foot to head on my full flotation waterbed. It took Das Behr nearly ten minutes to calm the wave by laying prone and rode the water mattress like I was on a surf board on the ocean.

Never lost cable

News Copter 7 was sending live, unedited images to their news roomand out to the public. Stunned at the scope of what I saw, I sat on the couch with my mouth agape. I never saw a freeway in such a crumbled state as was the Cypress Structure in Oakland. I then felt sickened as I realised that cars and trucks were now crushed with their occupants beneath tons of concrete and re-bar.

It took me three days to reach my folks back east. I gave them phone numbers of my roommies' relatives and asked my dad to do a relay call to them to advise that their loved ones are indeed still amongst the living and will call when services were fully restored.

Seventeen years ago to the day- The Loma Prieta Temblor. It was my "Big One".
And it still remains as the most recognisable seismic event here, in the Bay Area.
Surprisingly the fatalities numbered below 100. Most of those killed were in their vehicles when the freeway collapsed.

Today, we have stronger building codes and seismic retro-fitted freeways.
There's a new program in place encouraging people to save water for emergency kits. Because many local governments on the peninsula have realised that in another seismic event, we need to care for ourselves for as much as 72 hours. Do you have your emergency kit? No? Do it today!

So Sayeth Das Behr

So Sayeth Das Behr