Seattlest: When the Big One Hits

Charles Redell

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:59:22 -0800

Katelyn, The first earthquake I ever experienced was in 1995 right after I'd moved here. I was in the basement of the Wing Luke Museum in the Theater off Jackson in the ID. I remember hearing the rumble and looking up to see the giant wood beams swaying and thinking how odd that was... Only when it was over and we were looking at the lights in the theater to make sure nothing was gonna fall on the audience did I realize how those giant swaying beams saved my life. Of course, who knows WHAT they'd do in a 9.0? If it eases anyone else's mind, I'm gonna be terrified for the next few nights and days as well!

Kim Ruehl

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:58:35 -0800

damn you charles, way to give us all something to dream about tonight. although, when i read this: In short, "What the scientists learned from this simulation is not reassuring, as reported in the Journal of Seismology, particularly for residents of downtown Seattle."i thought you were citing the journal of scientology, which made me giggle.

jessejb

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:47:59 -0800

I live in the 6th and Pine building downtown (est 1924, 10 stories, terra cotta, concrete and steel) and not a day goes by where I dont think about how shitty anything over an 8.0 will be if Im in there. But I feel better when I think about how at least I dont live in SoDo where I would just sink into liquefacted sand.

Katelyn

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:44:12 -0800

In my cavernous new one-story workplace, I imagine the greatest risk in an earthquake would be the giant wooden beams falling on my head. :( Charles, this is not a happy thought.

ryanonsummit

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:23:08 -0800

For what it's worth, the wikipedia page for the space needle: It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h) and earthquakes up to 9.5 magnitude (which would protect the structure against an earthquake as powerful as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake).

Charles Redell

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:06:58 -0800

The space needle? I find that really hard to believe. It was built in the 60s after all. Anyone able to back that up?

TroyJMorris

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:06:21 -0800

Man, I feel comforted now.

ryanonsummit

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:01:49 -0800

I recall one of the elevator operators at the space needle saying that the needle was one of the safest places to be in an earthquake. So maybe all the tourists will be the lucky ones.

Seattle Veggie

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:58:50 -0800

I used to work in the third basement of the Qwest building across from Pacific Place. During the last earthquake, most of us ran out of the building. After internalizing years of coworkers' jokes about being buried alive in such an event, I think the primal urge to see open sky was too great. In the end the joke was on us - it turns out the third basement was designed as a bomb shelter, ultra-reinforced and with its own water system.

fall_line

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:51:25 -0800

Thank you, this is precicesly what I needed to help cheer me up at the end of a long day sitting in my office on the 40th floor of another downtown building.. I'm happy now. :)

Wesa

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:47:17 -0800

I almost pissed myself during our last earthquake. I can't imagine a 9.0.

Simonian

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:39:34 -0800

For what it's worth, the building of which you speak will topple to its demise under something like the original name. I think it's back to being called the Columbia Tower. But the natural disaster I'm waiting for is when Rainier blows its top and the resulting lahar does the Puyallup up a treat.