Series of EmergencyNet News "Real-Time" Reports Concerning A Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake that Occurred Southwest of Seattle, WA: 28-29 Feb 2001

  This page has been accessed Times
FastCounter by bCentral

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Injuries Reported As Big Quake Shakes Seattle

About 250 people were reported injured when a strong earthquake measuring 6.8 in magnitude and lasting about 45 seconds rocked the city of Seattle on Wednesday. Three of the hurt victims were said to be in serious condition after being crushed by debris. The quake struck at 1054 PST and was also felt in Vancouver, British Columbia, to the north and Portland, Oregon, to the south. The quake damaged many buildings in the earthquake-prone city of about 500,000.

The U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado first reported the earthquake measured 7.0, but then reduced that figure to 6.8 -- a size that still carries potential for major damage. This did not result because of the quake's substantial depth, estimated to be about 33 miles underground. The epicenter was said to be some 35 miles southwest of Seattle, and ten miles northeast of the state capital Olympia along the coast of Puget Sound.

A mild aftershock with a preliminary magnitude of 3.4 was recorded at about the same depth early Thursday. There were no additional reports of damage.

Thirty people were stranded at the top of Seattle's Space Needle tower before being rescued. CNN reported that the dome of the state capitol building in Olympia was cracked. U.S. Highway 101 buckled in several places. It was the largest quake to strike Seattle in 36 years, when a 6.5 tremor rocked the region on 29 April 1965. Seattle sits on a fault caused by the Juan de Fuca plate sliding under the continental United States.

It was reported that one driver apparently panicked during the quake and swerved off the road, hitting a pedestrian. Officials in King County where Seattle is located said a county-wide state of emergency had been declared, allowing inspectors to enter buildings to check for structural damage.

19:00CST/17:00PST - 28 Feb 2001

At Least 50 People Injured in Northwest Quake

Seattle, WA (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency medical sources, a total at least fifty (50) people were injured in the Northwest region, due to today's earthquake. Most of the injuries were described by physicians as "non-life-threatening." Only a handful of injuries were described as "serious" by medical authorities.

Washington state Gov. Gary Locke has declared a state of emergency, and is estimating the quake damage in the "billions of dollars."

President Bush has reportedly dispatched , Joe Allbaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to travel to Seattle to assist in the damage assessment and mobilize necessary relief efforts.

According to a spokesman  from Puget Sound Energy, 200,000 customers in western Washington state have lost electrical service, but power was expected to be restored to many by tonight.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was closed for several hours due to damage to the control tower, but FAA officials said that they were slowly coming back on line and that some flights would be allowed to land and take-off. 

All in all, ERRI emergency service analysts continue to say that the Northwestern United States should consider itself "extremely lucky" that the damage and number of injuries were much less than could have been expected given the 6.8 magnitude of the quake.

EmergencyNet News is monitoring events in Seattle and Washington State closely, and will provide additional details as circumstances warrant...

*****

16:00CST/14:00PST - 28 Feb 2001

Washington State Doing Remarkably Well Given Magnitude of Earthquake; Only 20 People Reported Injured

Seattle, WA (EmergencyNet New) -- ERRI emergency service analysts, including those form California -- who are very familiar with earthquakes and emergency response to them -- say that the State of Washington appears to be holding up extremely well, given the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck there today. "Certainly, there is a good deal of damage to buildings...but, we are not seeing the kind of catastrophic damage that could be expected from a large earthquake," one senior analyst told EmergencyNet News in the past hour. 

Emergency response and management personnel, and government officials, continue to assess the damage caused by today's quake. Many are telling EmergencyNet News that they are "breathing a sigh of relief" that the extent of damage and number of injuries aren't of the intensity that they first feared. Although both agencies stress that rescue operations are still on-going, both King County and Seattle City personnel say that only twenty people have been injured and no deaths have been reported so far, as the result of the quake. 

Seismologists are said to be again revising their estimate of the magnitude of this earthquake, this time slightly downward, to 6.8. They also say that extensive damage may have been limited by the fact that this quake was "very deep" and located as much as 50km below the earth's surface. 

***** 

14:25CST/12:25PST - 28 Feb 2001

Earthquake Magnitude Increased to 7.0, Seattle-Tacoma Airport Closed

Seattle, WA (EmergencyNet New) -- According to Don Blakeman of the National Earthquake Center, the magnitude of the Washington State earthquake has been increased to 7.0 on the Richter scale. Additionally, EmergencyNet News has been advised that Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) airport has been closed and that the air traffic control tower has been evacuated. Aircraft inbound to Sea-Tac are reportedly being diverted. Amtrak services in the area of the earthquake have also been shut down, with three trains stranded. 

Emergency medical personnel are reporting that at least ten (10) people have been injured in Seattle as the result of the quake, but they caution that search and rescue operations are still underway and that the number of people hurt may rise. 

*****   

*****

13:40CST/11:40PST - 28 Feb 2001

Earthquake Centered Southwest of Seattle

Seattle, WA (EmergencyNet News) -- At least one fire has broken out in a warehouse, following a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck southwest of Seattle, WA today. At least one seismologist told EmergencyNet News by e-mail that the magnitude of the quake may be revised upward as additional data is gathered.

There is damage being reported to a number of buildings in Seattle, although city officials say that they are still assessing the incident. There have not been reports of significant injuries, but ambulances have reportedly been dispatched to numerous incidents. 

Concerns have also been raised about the possibility of damage or injuries in the area between Olympia, WA and Seattle, WA, which would be closer to the epicenter. Few official reports have come the Olympia area, but some telephone outages are being reported.

*****

13:00CST/11:00PST - 28 Feb 2001

*FLASH* -Earthquake Reported in State of Washington

From ERRI/EmergencyNet News Watch Desk

Seattle, WA (EmergencyNet News) -- Early and as yet unconfirmed reports are coming in of an earthquake in the state of Washington. No official information in regard to damage or injuries is not known at the time of this report, but media reports coming from the scene suggest that at least some buildings have partially collapsed. Unconfirmed estimates suggest that the quake was rated as 6.2 on the Richter scale.  

Washington State Emergency Management Division: http://www.wa.gov/wsem/index.htm

U.S. Geological Survey: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

National Earthquake Information Center: http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/

© EmergencyNet News Service, 2001. All rights reserved. May not be redistributed or otherwise published without the expressed permission of ERRI/EmergencyNet News.

Emergency Response & Research Institute
6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., #312
Chicago, IL. 60646
(773) 631-3774 - Voice
(773) 631-4703 - Fax
(773) 631-3467 - Modem/Emergency BBS On-Line
http://www.emergency.com - Main Webpage
webmaster@emergency.com - E-mail

Return to the Disaster Operations Archive Page

Return to the EmergencyNet News page