NOTABLE

THE OLYMPIAN STAFF

Phone calls

After the shaking stopped, the phones started ringing in darkened homes.

But not all of those calls to check on family and friends made it through.

"We experienced almost 600 percent increase in call volume," 1/2 est spokesman Michael Dunne said.

In the dark

More than 200,000 Puget Sound Energy customers -- mostly in Thurston, King and Pierce counties -- lost power, PSE spokesman Grant Ringel said. Most of those customers had power restored later that day.

Game goes on

The powerful earthquake that hit Western Washington stopped traffic, some schools and even the Legislature, but it did not stop the state 3A high school basketball tournaments in Tacoma.

The powerful quake hit as boys and girls games were being played at the dome. The teams took a five to 10-minute break before returning to the courts to complete the contests.

The decision to continue playing in the face of the powerful quake was made by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which oversees the tournament in consultation with Tacoma Dome engineers.

"Within a matter of minutes, they were able to tell us the condition of the building, which had no structural damage," WIAA assistant executive director Jim Meyerhoff said. "So we got started again to get everyone back into the game.

"Safety is our No. 1 concern," Meyerhoff said. "Everyone did the right thing. People have gone through this, so they are prepared, and it paid off."

The injured

More than 50 people were treated for broken bones, muscle sprains and strains, anxiety-related chest pains and asthma attacks in South Sound hospitals and urgent care clinics after Wednesday's earthquake.

Hospitals were working in disaster control mode, calling in emergency medical staff members and struggling with phone problems in the first hours after the quake, officials said.

One man was admitted to Mason General Hospital for observation, in stable condition after being thrown from a cherry picker, an industrial vehicle used to lift workers.

Another worker thrown from the machine was treated and released.

Providence St. Peter Hospital treated and released 35 people for quake-related injuries and health problems, said spokeswoman Deborah Shawver.

Capital Medical Center treated and released 14 people with quake-related injuries, said spokeswoman Susan Kent.

Both Capital Medical and Group Health Cooperative also reported emergency patients with anxiety-related chest pains.

Group Health closure

Group Health Cooperative of Olympia closed all of its services except for urgent care, which remained open to treat injured patients, while the clinic was assessed for damage, Viveros said. The cooperative reopened Thursday.

All elective surgery at St. Peter Hospital and Capital Medical Center was cancelled Wednesday. In addition, St. Peter sent home all people scheduled for outpatient surgery and all visitors to hospital in-patients.

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