My Tale of the Loma Prieta Quake

I was going through my collection of office newsletters in packing up my office, and found this story that I had contributed to a collection of employees' stories in our special earthquake issue:

I was on BART when the quake struck; the train I was on was pulling into the Embarcadero Station. In coming to a halt, the train jerked around more than usual, but it seemed to be only a particularly inept job of braking. I didn't know that there had been a quake until there waas an announcement over the train's PA system. Then the station lights went out and we were advised to leave by the emergency exit, wherever that might be. Those near me headed up the escalator (fortunately, there was some source of light; it was not pitch dark), and I followed them out.

Downtown was very strange. Power was out everywhere, and most buildings and stores were closed. I bought something from a store that was still operating - it had enough windows for ambient light, and a manually operated cash register. I saw shattered plate glass windows in many places, including all the windows of Magnin's on Union Square, and fallen bricks and cracked sidewalks. It began to seem like a major quake had occurred. People were lined up at pay phones checking in with loved ones, and were clustered around transistor and car radios to get the latest news.

I just wanted to get home to Noe Valley. I hoped to catch a taxi or bus, and started walking west on Sutter Street, and then on Geary. I walked as far as Fillmore Street and hoped to catch a trolley bus. After watching one bus for five minutes or so, the fact that it never moved finally convinced me that public transportation was not an option, so I headed south, towards my home. I tried to visit one friend, but, after wandering around her dark building and knocking on her door without result, I went on.

Several more blocks down the road, almost two hours after the quake, I finally found a friend at home. In fact, she even had her lights on for about five minutes. Turned out, a mutual friend of ours (who lives a block from me) was also there, and they were planning to take her home very soon. So, I just caught them, not only in an apartment that had lights, facilities, and comforting friends when I needed them, but they were just leaving to make a trip to my neighborhood.

More Pictures from Hawaii

Me in new aloha shirt.

The fern grotto, followed by sunset at Poipu Beach and Waimea Canyon.

Me on a canopy bridge, and me with Mark Scott at Allerton Gardens.

Some river, and a rainbow at the foot of some falls.

The top of said falls, followed by one of the myriad and ubiquitous feral roosters.

Me on our lanai.

Kilauea Lighthouse.