Where were you on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 PM?
Ask anyone from the San Francisco Bay Area that question, and you will likely get some extremely detailed answers. Twenty years ago this Saturday, the Loma Prieta earthquake shook San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Oakland, and the rest of the Bay Area with the largest temblor since The Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
Game 3 of the Bay Bridge World Series was the big event that day, and the eyes of the country were trained on San Francisco’s Candlestick Park to watch the SF Giants take on their cross-bridge rivals, the Oakland Athletics, for the MLB championship.
For my part, I was hauling equipment out to our high school football field for marching band practice. I had come directly from soccer practice, so I was a bit late, and the entire band was already on the field.
My first realization that something was happening was when I noticed the sound, a low rumbling that could have just as easily been a large truck passing by, except it was coming from across the football field, and there was no street over there.
And then I saw it. It was as if a huge log was rolling underground toward me, followed by at least one more that I could see. As the undulating earth approached the unsuspecting band on the field, plumes of water shot into the air as the earthquake passed each of the houses that bordered the school, sending the water from their pools to a height of 30 feet, easily above the rooflines of those two-story homes. I distinctly remember thinking, “Wow, every single one of those house has a pool!” as it struck each one in succession.
Then it reached the band. And they all fell down. I thought it was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I was with the drum major, and we both busted out laughing, managing to keep our feet as the quake shook the ground beneath us. For fifteen seconds, we jumped up and down, hooting and hollering as if we were on a stand-up roller coaster. Being in the middle of an open field is about the safest place you can be in an earthquake, so we were just enjoying the ride.
When the shaking was over, I was impressed. That was a pretty big earthquake, and I was glad no one at the school was hurt. Some of my friends from the water polo team had been thrown from the pool by the force of the quake, but we all generally described it as “a lot of fun.”
Not until we got home that night and turned on the news did we know the extent of the damage to San Francisco, the freeways and Bay Bridge, and Santa Cruz, all within a 45 minute drive of my town.
Having lived in the Bay Area for most of my life, I had already been through a decent-sized earthquake, the 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake that measured 6.2 on the Richter Scale. So a 7.1 shaker doesn’t sound like that much more, right? Well, because the scale is logarithmic, it grows exponentially as it goes up the scale. So a 7.0 would be ten times greater than a 6.0. That’s some confusing math, I guess.
Twenty years later, many local news sources are sharing their memories of Loma Prieta. Here at Meebo headquarters, Christian remembers stacking oil filters at the auto shop where he was working when he saw all of the telephone poles swaying and the cars jumping up and down like they were at a lowrider rally. And Danny, well, he probably just remembers that the Giants ended up losing the series 4-0. (Type “( letsgogiants )” without the spaces to display a cool SF Giants emoticon in Meebo.)
Some people think we Californians are crazy to live in a state where earthquakes happen every day. But honestly, I have only felt 4-5 of them, and I think I will take once-in-a-lifetime major earthquakes to seasonal hurricanes or tornadoes any day. There’s no “earthquake season,” after all. People who live in hurricane country probably feel the same way about earthquake country.
There are tons of earthquake preparedness resources available, and most of them seem to focus on a few simple rules: make sure nothing will fall on you by bolting tall furniture to walls and storing heavy items close to the ground, reinforce your building if necessary to make it more resilient, and remember to drop, cover, and hold on.
So do you remember where you were 20 years ago on October 17? I sure do. Oh yeah, and it was my brother’s birthday, too. Happy birthday, Erik.
Be safe.
Greg
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October 16th, 2009 at 7:54 am
olá my brother post recad
October 16th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Falling down on the field is no fun. You get dirt all over your back and sometimes in your instrument. I wasn’t even thought of 20 years ago, but still, impressive story.
(And of course, Marching band rocks. =D)
October 16th, 2009 at 8:59 am
That sure was a ride. At the summer job I worked at that year it became known as “the day Maria danced in the parking lot”. I was in the storage room at the top of the warehouse standing on a stool in my highest heels when it started. Being a born Californian, I only stepped down off the stool to wait it out and get back to work. But it didn’t stop! Realizing the intensity, I ran out the storage room as things fell on me off the shelves. I ran down a steep set of stairs and out the warehouse into the parking lot. Looking around I saw cars, buildings and electrical pools wobbling like you’d never imagine. Someone shouted to me through a window, “Maria, hold onto the car!” (Dope!) The nearest car was doing the salsa! So I did the Mexican hat dance in my stilettos in the middle of the parking lot trying to keep standing as everyone watched from the surrounding buildings. It was a real challenge! To this day, those same people refer to it as “the day Maria danced in the parking lot.”
Fortunately we have funny stories that came from that awful eathquake that we can laugh about 20 years ago. But my prayers go to the families and friends of the victims of the Loma Prieta Quake. For the rest of us, say a little prayer in blessing and pass on your story.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Boa tarde,
October 16th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Isso é muito doido
October 16th, 2009 at 9:36 am
My comment is just thanks. I would like to join your country if you can please help me the way.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Greg, you don’t look (on your meebo pic) older than 20.
October 16th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I was 24, watching the ball game on TV… I remember them saying something was going on, then the image froze, then went blank, for what seemed a long time. Then we got the stock network slide that says “Experiencing Technical Difficulties…”
I watched the news over the next few days, but I remember a year or so later, seeing up-close images in National Geographic article, and realizing I had no idea how bad it really was at the time.
A moment of silence for those who passed away in this tragedy 20 years back…
October 16th, 2009 at 10:44 am
I was born earlier that day in Los Angeles. Band makes everything better. Happy birthday to your brother and to myself too
(And Eminem, I hear)
October 16th, 2009 at 10:50 am
am john how are you i need you in my life thank
October 16th, 2009 at 11:02 am
nao entendi muita coisa mas achei vc bonito beijos
October 16th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Hi Greg…
Yeah… I remember that earthquake myself. I was living in the Navato area at the time. I am trying to remember if that was the same earthquake that colapsed the overpass trapping and killing several people in their cars. We were hit but no ‘real’ damage. Thankful!!
I am originally from the Pacific Northwest… so I laughed when you said that people think that those in California are crazy for living in an area where this is earthquakes. I think pretty much anywhere has a ‘lable’ to it. Like in Washington… they say it rains ALL the time.. well.. I have experienced the rain in the San Rafeal (sorry about the spelling there) area and it put Washington to shame… lol. It may sprinkle.. and it may be gray.. but it is one of the most greenist states I have ever seen. And trust me.. I have seen LOTS of the states!!
When you look outside and around you and remember the times and things that have happened in the past… earthquakes.. shuttles blowing up.. new presidents.. you can either laugh (as you may have during the time as well) or just smile and know that things always happen for reasons that we dont know of right now…
… just smile when you remember and think of the positive…
~Melody
October 16th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Oiii!boa tarde…
October 16th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
exellent!
October 16th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
THIS IS SO DUMB MAN……….
October 16th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
I was liviing in the midwest and we were all shocked about the stacked highway falling on top of the lower level. Fortunately, there was minimal loss of life. Good luck to anyone who has to live through a earthquake.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I was in my mother’s womb, to be born just 3 months later; I lived in Glen Park. Agreed though, 20 years later, and that day was far from forgotten here in the bay area.
Also, waiting on the day that San Francisco can walk away with a World Championship.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
I was in Los Altos, home from kindergarten and trying to tie my own shoelaces. Mainly, I remember one of our lamps swaying and running out to the front yard. One of my brothers was at a soccer practice like you and watched the field rolling. The other was coming home from a game with his high school team – they were supposed to cross over the Bay Bridge but took an alternate route due to World Series traffic — and thank goodness!
5 years later, we’d moved to LA and I slept through most of the Northridge ‘quake. I might be an earthquake-magnet… I’m actively *not* attempting to prove this theory, however.
October 16th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
gostei do Blogg..
Kiss
October 16th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
i am chinese.so i think i was 5months old i know nothing about the world, now i was born in May 17,1989.i feel sorry and i understand the huge pain,because the earth happened in Schuan Provience in china last year, and all chinese are painful……
October 16th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I was born in Berkeley during the Loma Prieta earthquake. It’s probably the first thing that happened to me (other than being born). I don’t remember it, but I’m sure it was super intense.
October 17th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Hi do you speak Slovak
October 17th, 2009 at 1:46 am
I was in a car driving down a country road in Sonoma County. When I reached my destination, a feed store, I turned off my engine and was surprised to feel the car rocking sideways. I couldn’t figure out what was causing it and decided that some kids must’ve kicked my fender and run away. The only thing was, I could see all around the car and there were no kids in sight, or places for one to hide. I just sat there, confused as heck, totally clueless about what was making my car rock. Finally I got out and went into the feed store. Cans, boxes and bags of pet food were all over the floor. The owner, an older guy, was on his knees trying to gather up some of the stuff. He looked up as I entered and said, “Did you do this?” That was when I finally got it.
October 17th, 2009 at 1:58 am
October 1989 I was homesick in Germany, clubbing. US Army, 32d AADCOM. Grossauheim, beezies! >:P
At the time, in my mind, I couldn’t have been further from the world.
October 17th, 2009 at 3:27 am
Great post Greg, I don’t always stop to read the meeblogs, its good to remember regardless of your location mine of which happened to be Indiana. We had one small, lets say tremor back in the early 90’s here in Fort Wayne, knocked a few people swirly gave us all something to talk about for the next few months. That is life in the midwest for you! I think I tripped over my shoe lace and blammed it on the big quake!!
October 17th, 2009 at 4:27 am
hi my name is meaghan and you have a really good pose so good luck having people send message. well at least i did because if i did not you would have barley any. bye!!!!
October 17th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Thanks for the great post! I live in Central-Europe, where are no earthquakes. I always thought that earthquake is a terrible thing, but according to your description, it’s not always that bad… =D It can be interesting living in a state where earthquakes are just normal and people say -Whoaa another earthquake.. !
Vica
October 17th, 2009 at 7:01 am
if u lovesomeone like i do just go on and someday u will find true love
October 17th, 2009 at 11:43 am
its cool to hear the stories. (thanks for sharing yours!) i was almost 2 years old. and dont remember =]
October 17th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I just took a quiz, after reading this, that happened to ask the very question: An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 on the Richter scale releases how many times as much energy as an earthquake of magnitude 6.0?
I picked 10 and got it wrong, it’s actually 32 times apparently!
October 17th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
wow that waz um interesting and i dont mean that in a mean sort of way
October 17th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I was in that earthquake. I was only a wee little toddler at the time. I was watching the looney toons on television and my father was in the other room using his toaster mac computer. I remember complaining that the cable tv had turned to static, and then seconds later the power went out. Instantly my dad knew what was happening. He grew up in cali I guess he had seen the pattern before. He grabbed me and said “we gotta get the H outta here!”
After that I really don’t remember much. Not too much damage to my apartment building, but the swimming pool at the base of the apartment was really just broken for lack of a better word.
I did not know what an earthquake was and I was extremely terrified. In retrospect, it wasn’t a very traumatizing experience at all.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Wow, Thanks for telling us about the experience. I will definately take the football field during Earthquake into consideration.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
i was not even in my momz mind yet at that time
October 17th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
I was picking up my girlfriend (now my wife) for a date. Her dad had the baseball game on. I’m about 300 miles south of the bay area, so it wasn’t felt by most folks down here. I just remember the ball game announcers were pretty dumbstruck and didn’t exactly know what was appropriate to say. Mostly, we were just wondering how long the game would be delayed. Funny how short-sighted we can be in those moments.
October 18th, 2009 at 6:09 am
It was my 6th birthday and I was living in the very east of the east of Germany .. I was absolutely unaware of the existence of the wonderful city of San Francisco, which I only was to discover many years later .. whatever happended to you guys, I did not care back then, as a child. It’s amazing what you learn over the years, and how much your horizont espands (fortunately). let’s connect, thank you meebo!
October 18th, 2009 at 9:16 am
i was like 2 months old when that happend..haha..but my family has told me about it a million and a half times
October 18th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I would like to get even more information
October 18th, 2009 at 10:55 am
OMFG everyone has such excting lives.
October 18th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
We were in Chicago, not watching the game, but we knew it was going on. It was shocking to see the damage.
Now, if water in a pool shoots up 30 feet, is that pool still structurally sound? Do they make earthquake resistant pools?
October 18th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
that’s my birthday too!!
I wasn’t alive though..i was born a year later, lol. happy birthday to me! 19! woot! woot! 
October 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I was 18 years old when it happened. I remember watching coverage of it on the news later that night after I got off work. As another poster said, we here in the Midwest were just speechless when we saw the stacked highway laying right on top of the lower portion. We had an earthquake here on April 18 of last year (at 5:37 A.M.) and at first I thought that a semi had hit the building I work in. Then I thought it was a tornado, but I knew that couldn’t have been the case, because there was NO warning at all. After it stopped (I was in a hallway when it happened) I turned on the TV and they were about as confused as I was for a few minutes, until they realized that we really did have one!
October 18th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
i am fron there and i love that place ALL of you should ask ur parents if you can take a trip there and i can guarntee that u will LOVE it there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 18th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
good read.
October 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
I totally remember the earthquake. I was in kindergarten. My mom was wiping my sister’s behind during a diaper change…for whatever reason I was watching. The door to the bedroom started swinging and my mom, calm as ever, told me that it was an earthquake. I ran to the sliding glass doors to look at the backyard. The water was splashing up out of the pool. The Giants game went off the radio. The scariest thing for me was hearing about what happened to the BART and also watching the Bay Bridge collapse on the news. And knowing that I had been on both.
October 18th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
This was also my birthdate! Thanks for the great post.
October 19th, 2009 at 5:18 am
omg didnt ever hear of this its terryfying!
October 19th, 2009 at 5:36 am
i was living at camp pendleton at the time of that incident on the san clemente side….we felt it….pictures fell off our wall…..kinda scarry since we dont have earth quakes here. my prayers go out to the families of the people who were directly affected by this
October 19th, 2009 at 5:45 am
oh, and by the way does everyone know what they were doing when 9/11 happened? I went to pick my kids up from school the moment the second plane hit the other building. At first I thought ” OMG that poor pilot must have lost control of the plane or maybe had gone the wrong way or …..something…..then the second plane hit the other building and my first thought was were being attacked….this is no accident…OMG my babies are at school”….so i went to pick them up just in case we were being attacked I wanted me and the kids to be together if we were gonna die we will die together. I had just come in from working with the horses because i was hungry and happened to look at the TV////dont know why the TV was on CNN at the time but im sure glad it was.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Well i was in the caribbean for sure, Jamaica to b exact. I was exactly 1 month and 5 days old so pretty much i couldnt know what was going on atm lol. Any ways tho, great story, love it. R.I.P. to the victims
October 19th, 2009 at 8:20 am
hei you ar soo great how are you?? whats your name?? hahahhaa bye
October 19th, 2009 at 9:45 am
I was born a couple hours after the earthquake, early on October 18th, 1989
October 19th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I remember the Loma Prieta Quake & many others. That particular earthquake actually rocked us so hard that my food swapped cupboards (still a mystery to me as to how that worked) I pushed through my screen door & sat on the picnic table to watch my battery operated TV to see what was going on. Exactly 24 hrs prior, a lady friend & I had been at the Santa Cruz Roasting Company. Good thing it was the day before, or we’d have probably been smashed. There were workers putting in cable lines where I lived & 1 young man was from Texas, he said he was going home as soon as he could get to an airport & get out of there. I lived in theSanta Cruz Mtns.
My son was stationed in Alameda at the time & barely made it over the bay bridge before the collapse. He was also one of te 1st to go back over the bridge when it reopened.
I am 60 yrs of age & remember alot of the natural disasters that plaque that area. Tons of mud slides, friends buried alive underthem. To this day there are people who were never found and the roads have been rebuilt, right over the top of those misssing.
I was taking a bath & had a hard time getting out of the bathroom, but when i did & grabbed the portable tv & found out what was going on, I feel fortunate that I had the little tv & was able to catch the news, without it I’d have been lost in the dark with no info..as to what was happening.
I was fortunate, I lost material things like the tv, vcr, & such, but thankful I was unharmed physically. I count myself as one of the Lucky ones to have lived it & survived it with no physical problems, nerves were deffnately shot, but physically, all was well.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:37 am
sum friends e worth bein thrown,sum r good 2keep,sume r 2 b treasured 4ever;i think
u r the one 2 be thrown in the treasure box 2be kept 4ever
wherever you go, whatever you do, you know ill always be there for you, so if youre
alone, theres no need to fear, just give me a call and u no ill be here! x
On a silent night when friend r few, i close my eyes and fink of u, a silent nite, a silent
tear, a silent wish,dat u were here!
dnt snd any msgs,i dnt wnt 2 c u,2 hear ur voice,2 think of u,2 keep in touch wid u!!coz
da doctor advised me 2 keep away from sweets
stars have 5ends, squares have4 ends, triangles have3 ends, lines have2 ends, life
has1 end, but i hope our friendship has no end
Although its quite a statement, Well it happens 2 b true. The best friend i ever had, Im
glad 2 say its u!
Smiles ‘n’ Tears, Giggles ‘n’ Laughs, Late nite calls ‘n’ Cute fotographs, ill b rite here till
da day of ma death best friends forever till ma very last breath!!
The years will come the years will go but with each 1 i wil always know whichever way
the road may bend u wil always be my best friend
when it hurts 2 look back & ur scared 2 look ahead, just look beside u & i will b there.
i cant txt u roses or fax u my heart.id email u kisses but wed stil b apart.i luv u 2 pieces
n just wish ud c dat i care 4 u so much coz u mean da world 2 me.
Many ppl will wlk in and out of ur life.but only tru friends will leave foot prints in ur
heart. . . . .u left urs in mine -x-
October 19th, 2009 at 10:38 am
goodbye see later in the day
October 19th, 2009 at 11:17 am
hi como estan bueno bey
October 19th, 2009 at 11:17 am
hi ola como estan yo bien y ustedes
October 19th, 2009 at 11:30 am
hello
October 19th, 2009 at 11:59 am
currently i live in oakland, but in 1989 i was living on treasure island. the ‘quake struck the day before my birthday, so you can imagine how i spent my actual birthday – retrieving fresh water (water, electricity & gas were completely out), waiting for my parents to arrive on the island (they had to stay overnight at their place of employment in the east bay), & basically trying to make sense of it all at such a young age (i had just turned 10). if it weren’t for the earthquake putting the bridges out for so long, i would have never had the experience of taking the ferry boats everywhere, which i haven’t done since. true, we are due for our next “big one”, but i wouldn’t trade living in the bay for anything – BAY AREAAA!!!
October 19th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I remember that day clearly. My 8 yr old brother was biking outside with his friends. My parents were traveling outside of the country. My grandparents were watching us. I was 9 yrs old, watching the world series while waiting for my piano teacher. As the earth shook my grandpa stood by the door, hurrying my grandma and I to join him.
When my brother came back from riding his bike he had no idea there was an earthquake. My aunt got stuck in the City and we had no school the next day.
October 19th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
i’m jonathan, i live in ghana, i’m single, i need friend fone me +233245861019. i love u all
October 19th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
that was my birthday
October 19th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
ke honda todo bien???
October 19th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
add me — > daniel.campinhos@hotmail.com
i am brasilian .. Abraço a todos ..
October 19th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
why do we have to do this and you are cool
October 19th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
u remember all d details included what u were thinking?? kewl!!
what a good read.. thanks!
i dont remember what happened on 17th Oct, 20 years ago.
but anyway, juz wanna share, my latest earthquake experience was last Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia earthquake. i live in Singapore, and was in my 13th floor office. me and my colleagues felt it for around 10-15 secs.
October 19th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I just remember that Halloween 1989 and some friends that dressed up as”earthquake victims” They had rocks on their heads, etc. I thought it was funny. But as I think back I remember it was a serious incident.
We are on the east coast, so we don’t take earthquakes seriously,
October 19th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
At that time I was a senior high schooler in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, on my first year (10th grader in 12-grade system). I saw great destructions in TV and news, and later on a quiet afternoon I felt a little tremblor in less than 5 seconds. The clock and several hangings were swaying little about once or twice. Next day I saw newscasters announce that the shockwaves from loma prieta were bounching all over the earth mantle and recorded everywhere in the world, including Malang, and it was quite strong for a bounching wave. Maybe the wave triggers Sunda Belt so it amplifies a little. My aunt was working in SF at that time but later she called our home in Malang and confirmed that she was okay. My greatest sympathy goes for those who lost relatives in Loma Prieta…
October 19th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Hey Greg, were were you living at the time? You sound like you may have lived pretty close by.
I wasn’t even home in Marina, I was attending college in Ashland and was sick in bed with the flu listening to the World Series on my TV. I was in/out of consciousness and thought the announcer was joking. When I fully awoke and realized that it was real, I drug my sorry sick butt out of bed and headed over to the college radio station I worked at to use the phone (I didn’t have one yet) and check on my family here in town. When I couldn’t get through, I ended up calling family in So. Cal and they were able to contact my parents and let me know they were okay. If it’s freaky being in it, but it’s scarier being away and knowing your family and friends are in the thick of it. I had a friend that was IN Candlestick during the quake and has a chunk of the stadium in his office to prove it.
I don’t remember the Morgan Hill quake, but pretty sure I felt it – Marina isn’t really that far away. The one that weirded me out was the 1983 Coalinga one – I swear I could see the street in front of my house undulating like some sick, twisted snake or one of those huge worms from Tremors. Crazy.
October 20th, 2009 at 12:32 am
Great article man! You got lucky.
7th Floor Flood building making a pitch to a client who disappeared and never returned.
I prayed in my mind, ‘Are we all going to die?’ as the century old concrete was popping all around me. I don’t know but I swear I heard a voice that said, “don’t worry about it”. So while everyone else was screaming. I was cool as a fish.
Thats just how it happened.
the bouncing SUV on the rooftop parkinglot outside my window was a rare treat.
My buddy watched the entire brick face of an office building come stripping off and some guy on the top floor fell out desk and all. The bricks landed on some lady in her car. People were scrambling to save her but she died. My other buddy was on the that bridge where the section fell. He thought he had a flat tire so pulled over and watched people disappear into the gap.
Sounds like YOU had fun though!!
October 20th, 2009 at 2:58 am
John 3:16
October 20th, 2009 at 5:15 am
mirá yo t digo que no se quien sos pero no t entiendo lo que decis xque esta en inglés y acá en uruguay hablamos en españo no en ingles asique anda a hacer el blog a otro lado
byebye
besos
andat
jajajajjajaja
que mala no
October 20th, 2009 at 5:31 am
Greg, good story. But coming from a person who lives where there are hurricane seasons (Louisiana), I think I would rather live here, than in California. At least we know way ahead of time when the hurricane is coming, and can get out of the way. I agree with you on Tornado alley. I would never want to live there.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:37 am
Ha, I was still living in HK back then. We get typhoon season there. I think I would prefer that to earthquakes that come year round.
October 20th, 2009 at 6:55 am
I was being born! My mom’s cousin lived over there at that time, my dad told her about it and she went into labor with me!!!
October 20th, 2009 at 7:29 am
great blog greg i love the way you write. keep me posted
October 20th, 2009 at 7:35 am
On October 17, 1989 I was just starting to learn the alphabet and write my name. You are a great writer. You have clearly elaborated and described the event as if we were there on the actual event.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:10 am
I was 3 years old, and my mom was terrified of earthquakes. But luckily she didn’t let me know that, i remember us standing in a door frame and her telling me it was a ride like at great america. I was having the time of my life. i remember watching everything fall off the walls and break, and thinking it was AWESOME. I dont remember anything else from being three, but that day i remember quite clearly. No one was hurt in my house or on my street, so the memory for me was not so traumatic as it was exciting.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:17 am
gooooooooood… legal!
October 20th, 2009 at 10:21 am
HOLA LLEVO VARIO TIEMPO USANDO ESTE PROGRAMA QUE POR SUPUESTO ES MEEBO PERO QUISIERA que le agregaran una cosas programas que serian buenos para todo aquel que disfrutara de este maravilloso programa que serian zumbidos que se pudiera zumbar zumbidos a otras personas y que se le pueda colocar una foto en el perfil muchas gracias por haber dado mi opinion y espero mis prontas respuestas chao.
October 20th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
i was in sanfrancisco~ was about to play baseball with friends while listening to world series was something i wont forget
October 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
hola!
October 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
PO BROTHER A LIFE LINDA, AINDA MAIS QUANDO SE ESTÁ NO RIO DE JANEIRO ABRAÇÃO BAY ….. I LOVE WORD.
October 20th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Hi Greg..are well???
hahha…kiss for u
October 20th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
i am brazilian…Add me in msn .. ok?
October 20th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
dammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ur hotttttttttttttttttttt!!!<3 adddd mee on aim okk
October 20th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
its prettyashley077@aim.com plzzz i wanna talk to u lmaooooooooooo
October 20th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
omg I was in that earthquake.. I was living in Milpitas California at the time I was about 11 years old….My aunt lived in San Jose and my mom was working in a salon when it happened…the pool sloshed water and the apartment complex shifted on its foundation…we saw crooked doorways for years before we moved back to NY….that was the craziest thing I have experienced in a long time
October 20th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Greg, thanks for the post. I felt like I was there *with* you! Isn’t it odd, how those random thoughts (”they all have pools!”) go through our minds when we’re presented with the near-unfathomable?
I live in “tornado nursery” – the weather systems that often spawn twisters start here in eastern Colorado and head east – and would MUCH rather live in the Bay Area. ’specially if I could laugh my way through a tremblor as you and your friend did.
Keep on postin’!
October 20th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
good to remember those remarkable days..
October 20th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I was in bootcamp coming back from chow!
October 20th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
In October 1989 I was 7 months old. I never heard of this until this day. Sounds like it was terrible. Since then many earthquakes have taken place and even though the first time I lived one I was sleeping and didn’t even notice, I feel the pain (since I’m very emotional) or people’s losses (either material, or family, and/or friends).
Sorry to hear about this, and to anyone that lost family, my very deep condolences.
Ings
October 21st, 2009 at 1:12 am
In 17. October 1989 I was in Prague. I was standing in Vaclav square and ringing with keys
October 21st, 2009 at 3:18 am
i was only 3 years old that time,,,,,,so basically i don’t know anything about that tragedy,,,,,,,,,,i only hope it won’t happen again…….
October 21st, 2009 at 5:16 am
I wasn’t even born for another 4 years
October 21st, 2009 at 6:05 am
we’re the one in this town we’re the best in the west . we are crazy we are funny we are naughty we are hunnys . we run this school that’s what we do if you try to stop us you’re getting scrude. like brothers and sisters thats how we are we’re all for one and one for all
October 21st, 2009 at 6:07 am
when i was born i was so surprised .
i couldn’t talk for
a year and a half
October 21st, 2009 at 6:08 am
if you like this coments please say it
October 21st, 2009 at 6:27 am
Are you on this mail?????:Issabellka@seznam.cz My english isn´t gut I´m from in Czech Republic.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:28 am
if you like this coments
October 21st, 2009 at 6:31 am
i like coments
October 21st, 2009 at 9:02 am
Hello, i’m sophie
October 21st, 2009 at 9:17 am
I was at home working on not doing my homework when the rumbling began. I just let out the loudest burp when the rumbling became a loud thunder with shaking. The house looked like it was dancing, the cars well they looked like I was back at my cousins on the East-Side watching his car bounce up and down, but in this case it was my moms P-O-S*. My sister and I were baby sitting and she had grabbed little Daniel and rand out he was laughing thinking it was all good fun. We stood outside watching the tree and street lights dance and swing back and forth. Never got to that homework…
October 21st, 2009 at 9:42 am
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October 21st, 2009 at 9:45 am
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October 21st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
October 17, 1989?
I was in my mother’s womb.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I THANK YOU SHOULD LKE TELL THE HOLE WORLD BEACUSE I LIKE A GUY WHO REALLY LIKES TO WRIGHT POEMS THANKS FOR THE MESSAGE ANY WAY I JUST SAY YOUR A REALLY CUTE GUY AND I WILL BE GLAD TO GO OUT WITH YOU DO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND? DO YOU WANT TO GO OUT WITH ME? YOU CAN SAY NO I DONT CARE BUT DO YOU HAVE ANY BROTHERS OR SISTERS I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS AND HAVE A GOOD DAY!!WILSONJALA@YAHOO.COM TEXT ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Dude… can’t get enough of ur blogs… always see myself reading them 1 or twice a day…
Thanks!
October 21st, 2009 at 5:38 pm
I dont remember where I was, but I know what my parents said about the quake. We were just pulling in to my great-grand parents house outside of Portland, OR when they came running out and rushed us to the TV where the news was on. We had just moved from Concord, CA 2 days prior. My parents had been offered tickets to the game. Dad worked in downtown San Fran, at that time he would have been on the Bart. I was 3 and my brother was 9mo. Im so glad we moved when we did!!
October 21st, 2009 at 10:40 pm
i was born after 10 days on October 27 in china.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:41 pm
i was on the lower cypress 5 mins before it dropped if wasnt for world series woulda been bumper to bumper traffic,i worked for phone company in berkley and had to go assist wit settin up phones etc at the site where cypress dropped..was notta good day but coulda been alot worst
October 21st, 2009 at 10:55 pm
20years ago i was not in this earth.m too afraid of earthquake…………………………
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:40 am
oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii vc é um goto quero comversar com vc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
beijossssssssssssssssss
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:41 am
oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii vc é um gato quero comversar com vc!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
beijossssssssssssssssss
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:44 am
não ligue porque elas nunca viu homem bomito igual a vc,deixe elas de lado,inguinore
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:32 am
You say that you’d risk a large once-in-a-lifetime earthquake, but you ignore the fact that you can’t see earthquakes coming! I’ve lived in Raleigh and Greensboro, NC for most of my life (22 years) and the worst natural disaster that I’ve lived through wasn’t a hurricane or a tornado, it was an ice storm (most financial damage). But all I had to live through was a couple of days without power. The second worse was a Category 2 hurricane that hit Raleigh (Hurricane Fran), which I completely slept through and woke up to two days without electricity. When you live over 150 miles from the ocean, hurricanes are almost not a threat. By the time they arrive at your doorstep they are tropical storms. AND YOU CAN SEE THEM COMING FOR WEEKS! They don’t even keep track of hurricane season in Greensboro (about 100 miles west of Raleigh; farther inland). Hurricanes never reach this far inland. Although tornadoes happen in this state, I have never ever seen one and I’m sure that most people in this state haven’t either.
So, yes there’s a risk of tornadoes, hurricanes, and even ice storms, but realistically, there’s a much smaller chance that you’d experience a bad one of these natural disasters compared with a large earthquake. AND YOU CAN SEE THEM COMING because they’re atmospheric phenomenons.
October 22nd, 2009 at 5:55 am
ugh…. wow. lol. i dnt get it!!!!
love yah
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:32 am
no entientiendo ingles? pero quiero saber tu pregunta????
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:36 am
why do they keep posting their childhood experiences … is it possible to stop blog spam appearing every time you log into meebo?
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 am
Wattsup?
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:04 am
Life is too short to take anything too seriously!
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:04 am
What he said!
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:39 am
hello yo hablo esphis
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:29 pm
dude, so. I moved from sj/sf to houston, texas. Hurricane season replaces summer and fall here. I would rather take earthquake country any day.
October 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
It shot the water of pools 30 feet in the air and you managed to keep your footing while everyone else fell. Sounds like a story from a third grader.
October 27th, 2009 at 6:34 am
i would like to help me thanks