HistoryLink: Shake and Rattle - 15th anniversary of Nisqually earthquae

Rubble from fallen pediment litters 1st ave S below Jackson Street
Photo by HistoryLink.org

From HistoryLink.org

This week marks the 15th anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake, which rumbled throughout the Puget Sound region on Wednesday, February 28, 2001. Measured at 6.8 on the revised Richter Scale, the temblor caused hundreds of injuries and one stress-related death from a heart attack. It was the strongest earthquake in the region since 1949, when a 7.1 magnitude quake struck in approximately the same area.

Those who were rattled by the 2001 Nisqually quake remember the aftermath all too well. Hardest hit was Olympia, closest to the epicenter, where many older buildings -- including the State Capitol -- sustained serious damage. In Seattle, the Alaskan Way Viaduct remained standing, but the aged structure and the seawall below it came under intense scrutiny and both are undergoing replacement. But the biggest quake damage in Seattle occurred in Pioneer Square, where residents were still reeling from events that had transpired the night before.

The article about the 1949 quake - Earthquake hits Puget Sound area on April 13, 1949 specifically mentions Richmond Beach as being one of the hardest hit areas.

Richmond Beach: "Damage considerable." Twisted and fallen chimneys, cracked plaster, cracked walls, and broken windows. Trees and bushes shook strongly.

Were any readers in Richmond Beach at the time and have memories of this 1949 quake? Tell us about it.