Then Came a Jolt.....

Today marks the 19th Anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake which struck the SF Bay Area on October 17, 1989 at 5:04pm. Caused by a slip along the San Andreas Fault, the earthquake lasted approximately 15 seconds and measured 6.9 on the Richter Scale. The quake killed 63 people throughout northern California, and injured 3,757 people.
It occurred during the warmup for the third game of the 1989 World Series, coincidentally featuring both of the Bay Area's Major League Baseball teams, the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. This was the first major earthquake in America to be broadcast on live television.

The earthquake caused severe damage throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, most notably in San Francisco and Oakland. Major property damage in the SF's Marina District 60 miles from the epicenter resulted from liquefaction of soil used to fill waterfront properties. Given the distance between the quake's epicenter and some of the worst-hit areas, geologists were surprised at the severity of the resulting damage. Subsequent analysis indicated that the damage was due to the amplification of the earthquake's Seismic waves. The quake caused an estimated $6 billion to $13 billion in property damage, becoming one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history at the time. It was the largest earthquake to occur on the San Andreas Fault since the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Private donations poured in to aid relief efforts and on October 26, President George H.W. Bush signed a $3.45 billion earthquake relief package for California.

This week, I spoke with my niece Perri, a 1st grader and she told me that an earthquake drill was scheduled at her school to commemorate the '89 quake. I gave her an oral history of that disaster. I especially mentioned that I was at the time, 16-years old and was working on a cell biology project at home. Her grandparents (my parents) were just hanging out and relaxing on a warm Autumn day. When the quake struck, the tremors were frightening and I recalled my mom grabbed my dad's hands. And, he told us not to move and stay under the door frames which is another secure place to be under besides the tables. Immediately afterwards, the electricity went dead and as night fell, complete darkness overtook our neighborhood. We lit candles and listened to the news report on the radio. What shocked us the most were reports of the collapsed Bay Bridge and the worst hit area of the Marina District. We could only imagine the extensive damages without any television images. Phone lines were dead until late in the evening when we started receiving phone calls from friends and relatives outside of California. My brother at the time was studying at San Jose, my sister Susan walked 5 miles home from her University, and my 2nd sister Cindy was stranded at downtown, SF at her boyfriend's house. As soon as the phone lines went back up, my father planned on getting Cindy. We knew it would be difficult driving the streets with the traffic lights down, but we were determined to get Cindy home. When dad pulled out of the driveway down the street, it was the first time we saw pitch darkness in the streets of SF. Traffic was heavy and drivers were courteous and calm. We reached Pine Street and got Cindy. On our drive home, I knew that moment would go down in history.

Has it been 19 years already? Luckily, the City had implemented some new measures to prevent and prepare for future earthquake disasters. One example is the Bay Bridge had undergone a seismic restructuring which is supposed to withstand future earthquakes of large magnitude. And, in the last 10 years, I had participated in the neighborhood NERT (Neighborhood Emergency Response Team) which is a free training program for individuals, neighborhood groups and community-based organizations in San Francisco. NERT members are not shelter workers; they are trained citizen first responders who can help save lives.The NERT Training Program is a 20 hour comprehensive program consisting of six class sessions. The training instructors are professional firefighters. I have yet to update my training since I have been back to SF. But, it is certainly worthwhile and important to understand the practicality and psychology of human beings in a time of disaster. After all, the bravest souls were the ones who reached out and helped others when fear and danger seemed most imminent. Today, I commemorate those who lost their lives on that fateful day, those who survived, and I salute all San Franciscans, especially the firewomen and firemen who performed their jobs and say a prayer of gratitude for life and the appreciation and love for the City of San Francisco!