Mayor Stan Biles on assessing the damage

Lorrine Thompson, The Olympian

OLYMPIA -- Structural and highway engineers will be out in force today, evaluating damage to at least 27 evacuated buildings and five major roads damaged in Wednesday's earthquake, Olympia Mayor Stan Biles said.

Nearby cities and Thurston County have loaned inspectors and other emergency workers to the city to help get critical safety assessments done as quickly as possible, Biles said.

"We'll get every engineer we can get our hands on, and they'll go as prudently as they can," he said. "This is a process designed to protect the public, and we do not want to rush the process."

The buildings will remain off-limits until inspectors have evaluated their safety and issued a determination on their condition, he said.

Another priority for the city will be evaluating the Fourth Avenue bridge, he said. Two sets of engineers inspected the bridge Wednesday, and they will send information to other engineers in San Francisco for a conference today.

The engineers will decide if there's any chance drivers can use the bridge, Biles said, though he didn't know if a decision would be made today.

"There's significant damage," Biles said, pointing to a sway in the road and chunks missing from columns. "You can see the debris just waiting to fall."

While engineers are assessing damage, city officials will be collecting data that can be used to apply for federal disaster aid. The process can take several months, but Biles said the city will work through it as quickly as possible.

"For most of us, the main problem is going to be transportation," he said, pointing to the many major roads damaged.

Drivers will have to find other routes until repairs can be made.

City officials also got wind of other problems that could appear in the quake's aftermath:

-Curiosity seekers were reported to have crossed barriers and walked onto the Fourth Avenue bridge to collect debris. Crossing barriers and other safety hazards won't be tolerated, Biles said. He also warned drivers downtown to be extra cautious so as not to be distracted by looking at earthquake damage.

-Con people often flock to disaster sites to offer assessment and repair services to property owners. Biles recommended homeowners ask to see the licenses of any repair workers and to insist on getting a city permit for repairs, which is required.

"We took a big hit from Mother Nature," Biles said.

At the same time, the city was lucky.

"It's a miracle we didn't have more injuries or any fatalities," he said. "It's amazing that no people were standing under some of these buildings when things started to fall. If they had been, they'd be dead."

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