Quake damages Capitol dome, shakes up legislators

Patrick Condon, Brad Shannon and Lauren Walsh, The Olympian

OLYMPIA - The earthquake that struck South Sound on Wednesday morning shook Washington government to its core, cracking the stone shell of the state Capitol dome and damaging more than 20 state office buildings.

State leaders quickly canceled the legislative session until at least Monday, and more than 10,000 state employees were left without phones or offices to work in when the 6.8 magnitude quake hit at 10:55 a.m.

"There was smoke, and then the sprinklers came on and then there was water running down the marble steps," said Rep. Gigi Talcott, R-Tacoma, describing the chaos on the fourth floor of the John L. O'Brien office building, where many state representatives have their offices.

There were only minor injuries reported on the Capitol Campus, according to the Olympia Fire Department.

But reports of damage were widespread, and the Washington State Patrol declared the Capitol grounds off limits to the public until damage assessments are completed.

"The Capitol Campus is closed to everyone. The only ones who'll be allowed on campus (today) will be General Administration staff and any experts they bring on," State Patrol Capt. Colleen McIntyre said.

The domed Capitol was entirely ringed by yellow police tape by Wednesday afternoon, and barricades were erected to keep traffic off campus. Officers also will stop pedestrians, McIntyre said.

Until the extent of the damage to buildings is known, state workers won't be reporting to duty until at least Monday -- unless their managers call them in to alternative sites, said Jim Erskine, spokesman for the Department of General Administration.

It was not immediately clear if employees will be paid for the unscheduled time off, said Dana Middleton, spokeswoman for Gov. Gary Locke. "We're looking into that" and should know by this morning, Middleton said.

Teams of inspectors from General Administration went through buildings throughout the afternoon, compiling preliminary damage assessments. They will return this morning with civil engineers from the private sector to assess the condition of Capitol Campus buildings. None initially showed significant structural problems.

The Governor's Mansion suffered extensive damage to its outer brick walls, with long cracks along the entire east and north sides of the house. Inside, "lots of things fell down," according to Vikki Poitra, a General Administration property manager familiar with the building.

Locke and his family won't be able to stay there for at least a few days while damage is assessed, Poitra said.

The fracturing on the outside of the Capitol dome made the top of national news reports Wednesday. What actually happened is the stone veneer on the building shifted, leaving a noticeable gap, according to Andy Stepelton, a senior property manager with General Administration. The material doesn't hold up the dome, but does pose a danger of falling on people, he said.

Although no serious structural damage was uncovered in Capitol Campus buildings, many offices are filled with wreckage, including toppled computers, tipped-over cabinets and other debris. In the case of the O'Brien Building, plumbing damage rendered restrooms unusable.

"It would be a welcome surprise if they could be inhabited before the weekend," General Administration Director Marsha Tadano Long said. "We have a little time. They basically said Monday -- that gives us four days to work on something."

Because a backup power generator was toppled off its moorings in the General Administration building, the campuswide phone system also was disabled.

Faced with piles of work but no place to carry it out, leaders of the House and Senate recessed until at least Monday and told legislators to go home.

"Our first concern is for everyone's safety," said House Co-Speaker Clyde Ballard, R-East Wenatchee.

The quake's arrival at the midpoint of the session could wreak havoc with the Legislature's schedule. "We've got 105 days to do this, earthquake or not," said Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach.

The caucus leaders said they will confer regularly the next few days, and they raised the possibility that they'll have to look for alternative sites to hold committee hearings and even floor sessions.

Plaster material came off the walls of the House and Senate chambers, said Stepelton. Other materials fell from cornices in the Rotunda.

"We need to find out if the damages are structural or if they're just cosmetic," said House Co-Majority Leader Dave Mastin, R-Walla Walla. "If they are structural, we're going to have to sit down and figure out a major game plan."

With Locke already estimating that quake damage in the region could total billions of dollars, Ballard predicted that an already bleak budget scenario for the Legislature is bound to get even more complicated.

"There's no doubt this will have a real impact on the budget," Ballard said. But the shared trauma of the earthquake could help defuse some partisan tensions, Ballard predicted.

Brad Shannon, Patrick Condon and Lauren Walsh cover state government and politics for The Olympian. They can be reached at 753-1688.

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