Talk #349

The Quake
Report From Seattle

Dennis T. Su

Hello to my Classmates,

First of all, we are fine and our house though shaken (not stirred) but survived the 6.8 quake. Thank you.

Since many of you saw what's the TV reported all day today, I think its best to write a brief report from the epic center, well not exactly, Seattle is about 60 some mile from it. For those of you who live in California, this experience may not seem unique, but it certainly was new to me.

The quake came when I was on the computer answering some urgent e-mail messages since I work at home and had no appointment outside
the house until in the afternoon. My wife was at work at her real estate office and my daughter was also at work. I was home alone. Just a foot note here, since I kind of retired from the big
consulting firm but am still providing architectural services from home and have been real busy with a few projects.

The computer I was using was in the family room on the main floor with the master suite above. First I heard noise came from the roof that sounded like a troop was marching on it. As the noise get louder and irregular to the point like a truck just landed on it, I felt the shake started. The whole house shacked and a few doors popped opened. I guessed my mind must be still on the e-mails, even consciously I knew it was an earthquake, I was in the denial state of "what ? not when I am busy !" Instead of dashing under something or a doorway like my kids taught me from what they were told when they in high school years ago, I just walked out to the deck thinking if the house collapse, I just jump to the bushes below. While enduring the shakes amid the noises, I glazed over to the houses and trees around and saw nothing. I mean the earth did not cracked open, no house folding up and no tree swinged back and forth like the movies.
In fact, my house is sitting on a bank and it didn't even slide down the hill.

Come to think of it, I never figure out what caused those terrible noises since they were not the normal creaking noises I use to hear when the house goes through its usual movement between seasons. But I am sure that noise must included some barking dogs in the neighborhood and falling objects in the house.

Then I came to my senses. First was to make sure there was power in the house which occasionally endured blackouts during snow or wind storms every few years. Then, anticipating aftershocks, I rushed to the garage and moved the car outside. That was done after I rushed outside to put on socks and shoes while my neighbors were looking and sharing their reaction to the quake. By then, whoever were in their houses were out in their yards and there were a few retired folks and homemakers around. As my neighbors told me how they saw their cars danced on the driveway, I mentally tried to remember where we stored the gallon jug of distilled water and how many cans of tuna fish left in the cupboard. Those thoughts were the results of public education that the local media been spreading in the last few years as the study of fault lines and plates movement became known since the Mount St. Helen eruption fifteen or more years ago. We were told that after a "natural disaster", we are supposed to be able to support ourselves for 48 hours before any help arrive.

The problem of working in residential neighborhood is the isolation from the business centers of the city. Didn't realize I missed so
much excitement in downtown and other older commercial neighborhoods that provided all the images of destruction on TV. Check the phone
lines and yes, all circuits were busy. Should stay away from using the phone unless its emergency. I knew that but I am only human and
the urge to call was there. So, without aftershock and kind of disappointed, I went back into the house, turned on the TV, and learnt about the whole thing. Thanks to the TV screen, now you know all about it too.

As for damage in the Su household ? Yes, among all the fallen books and pictures frames and other stuff on table tops, counter tops, and
so forth, we lost only two plates. One was a family heirloom from Qing dynasty and the other was a ceramic one we bought from the hippie artist in the 70's. A few of the breakables had been shaken to the edges of their support but stayed. We were very lucky.

Like that well-used line, those thirty seconds seems to last forever. Then its over. So, it was just one of those little shake and not the
"big one" that we've been warned. Whew.