Memories of Nisqually earthquake still fresh after 22 years. Tell us what happened to you
Twenty-two years ago, on a sunny Wednesday just before 11 a.m. on Feb. 28, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake suddenly struck 11 miles below the Nisqually Delta. For about 45 seconds, the shaking and rocking seemed to pick up steam like a freight train headed toward a horrifying, unknown destination. Or possibly an end.
No matter where Olympia-area residents were that day, many later confirmed to one another that they’d wondered if they were going to die. It was a once-in-a-generation event — the previous two quakes comparable in intensity were in 1949 and 1965.
When the shaking finally stopped, people emerged stunned from wherever they’d been hiding to survey the damage. Incredibly, there was only one death from a heart attack, nearly 400 injuries and about $4 billion in damage, according to the Washington Military Department. It was felt as far away as Tacoma and Seattle, and caused landslides, property damage and more.
Tell us about your memories from that day in the survey below. We’ll run an article with responses on Tuesday, Feb. 28. If you have pictures from the earthquake, you can send them to Sgoodwin@idahostatesman.com, along with your name and where the photo was taken.
