And what is the coverage calling a "phone book" to turn off water and gas lines?(/humor)
Prayers for the victims and their families.
“That’s the greatest opening in the history of television, bar none.”
Earthquake actually wasn’t in San Francisco.
My Brother was there! He worked for the So SF Water Reclamation Dept. He and his buddy would put on their work gear, badges, and just walk into games all the time.
I was 20 miles south of SF for that quake. At work, in a basement, with a 4 inch concrete drop-ceiling over my head, suspended by wires. You can bet I dove under my WW2 vintage steel desk.
I knew some people in Sunnyvale who never lost power, sorrounded by a sea of darkness that night.
Relatives four hours away in Santa Barbara said they felt it too, everything swayed back and forth in the house.
I had the TV on and saw what I thought was the freeway cracking, the shot was from above - it turned out to be a two-story expressway that had collapsed, a number of people were killed.
I was in SF the night before and morning of the earthquake. Had my hiring interview with EDS (Electronic Data Systems) at 1 Beach St San Francisco for the SED (Systems Engineering Development) program. They put me up at the SF Mission District Sheraton the night before. My interview was mid morning and I then drove back to Vallejo on I-80 over the Bay Bridge that collapsed later in the day.
Vallejo is 30 miles NE of SF. Barely felt the earthquake. Most northern CA earthquakes are south of SF.
I worked for EDS as a programmer at CA Medicaid in Rancho Cordova (near Sacramento) for 2 years before they moved me to Plano, TX. Been in TX ever since. The Rancho Cordova office was near the end of the runway for Mather AFB. Used to watch the F-16’s land.
I was there. I was on the 4th floor of an office building in Redwood Shores, and we got rolled around pretty good.
After that I got stuck in the worst traffic jam I’ve ever seen.
When I drove home I went through downtown San Mateo, and the scene was very surreal. People out walking around everywhere, right next to cars covered in rubble because many building facades just slid right off into the street.
All things considered there wasn’t that much damage. Yes, the Marina district in SF sank a bit and caught fire because of ruptured gas lines, and the freeway section in Oakland pancaked, and a section of the top level on the Bay Bridge fell (one end of it, anyway). Plus the crevasses formed in the ground near the epicenter.
That was about all that was really bad. Our living room picture window formed a crack about 1/2” long in one corner, and the contents of our spice rack fell over.
Looking around everywhere else there was really no indication that a major seismic event had taken place.
I felt this quake in Eagle Rock( Los Angeles 90041)! Just several jolts but destinctive!
I was working in Santa Clara at the time.
Dove for cover under my desk.
Took almost 2 hrs to drive the 5 miles home as most of SV had no power for a week.
I had waited 3 weeks for test time on systems located in Hayward. 5 PM appointment. We barely started and the earthquake sent everyone under the table. Another 3 week delay in the schedule and lots of scared co-workers.
All my homes and commercial designs made it. Says something for good materials