Olympia Damage

The olympian staff

OLYMPIA -- A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck near here Wednesday morning leaving dozens of residents homeless, injuring at least 35 and damaging schools, roads and downtown buildings.

The earthquake struck at 10:55 a.m. and was centered 11 miles north of Olympia and 30 miles underground.

"It felt like the end of the world," said Casey McKee, an employee of the Fifth Avenue Fabric and Clothing Gallery in downtown Olympia. "It was very frightening."

Four downtown Olympia buildings were evacuated because of quake damage and government workers were sent home when damage was discovered to the Capitol dome.

The Olympian Hotel and the former Elks building, whose upper floors include apartments, were evacuated. As many as 15 hotel residents were unaccounted for shortly after the quake.

The Red Cross was setting up a shelter for as many as 100 people at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church Wednesday afternoon.

Area hospitals reported at least 35 people injured, none of them seriously.

Gov. Gary Locke declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon. The action gives the the director of Emergency Management the authority to begin applying for federal and state aid to repair damage as the county recovers from the quake that was felt in British Columbia, Spokane, and parts of Oregon 300 miles away.

Numerous streets were closed or damaged, including a portion of U.S. Highway 101 north of Highway 8, which was closed due to a landslide.

Some of the railing on both sides of Olympia's Fourth Avenue Bridge fell, and there is a visible sag in the middle of the span, said Jay Burney, project manager for the city of Olympia.

Several area schools reported damage and the North Thurston School District in Lacey cancelled classes Thursday.

Katie Guggenmos, a freshman at Olympia High School, said her school received a number of cracks.

"The worst part was after about an hour, they let everyone back in," Guggenmos said. "They wouldn't let anyone call home, or allow calls in."

Computers fell over in the science building. And her friends said glass beakers were falling out of cabinets.

"When we (went) out on the field, a lot of parents came and picked up kids," she said. "But it was chaotic after we got back into the school."

Carol McGraw kicked the bricks away from her 1999 Ford Contour and shuddered.

"I've never been so scared in my life," she said, holding back tears.

Wednesday morning's earthquake sent bricks from the eaves and overhang of the American Legion Building, 219 Legion Way S.W., crashing to the street. McGraw's car was parked behind the building on Water Street.

McGraw, who works at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, was in her office during the earthquake. She made it through OK, although one window in the firm wasn't so lucky.

As McGraw made her way to her car about an hour after the quake, she saw it covered in dust with broken fragments of bricks surrounding it on all sides. Beyond a few nicks and dings, it appeared unharmed.

The Olympian Copyright 2000

back to main Earthquake Stories index