reflections on a 6.1 earthquake as the sun comes up. Ive only had about 3 hours of sleep since 8AM Saturday morning so bear with me. I just got back home here in earthquake country, Fremont. I just saw that the state declared a state of emergency in Napa. President Obama was briefed by Homeland security. That sounds really extreme. 3 critical injuries, around 80 treated in hospitals. I was a boy watching the World Series in San Jose in 1989 when we had the Loma Prieta quake that broke a part of the Bay Bridge. I remember that one. that was freaky (it had 63 deaths and 3K+ injuries). This one felt scary as hell. I was in Napa for a wedding in Sonoma, stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn. I just had one of the most exhausting work weeks of my life and then a busy wedding and got home and passed out a bit after midnight. I was by myself in a room on the second floor and hung up my suit, left my suitcase on a stand and kept the tv on. I think I woke up immediately when it began. It was an up-down motion, like the movement of the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. I dont know when the power went out but I could only hear what was going on and barely see things fall over from the moonlight coming through the window. I saw the TV fall over and heard it crush a wooden drawer on the floor. I never heard the microwave fly off the wall. Holy shit. here we go. It was a long time. It felt longer than the Loma Prieta 89 quake. I instinctively covered my head and got in a fetal position. It sounded like a tank driving through the building, like machinery grinding through a mountain. I will never forget the sound. Not knowing how widespread what was happening, and hearing everything around me fall apart, I was pretty sure it was THE Big one weve been waiting for. I looked up and braced myself for possibly the building falling on me. when the shaking stopped, I reached for my phone and found it on the bed. It was pitch black, so I used the light of the phone to look around. I had to step over the furniture to move to my bag, which had scattered on the ground. I heard people in other rooms and the hall way shouting Are you ok? and some bangs in the building. I didnt want to waste time getting out and just grabbed the pants and shirt I had worn the previous day still on the bed. I didnt bring a sweater... so I grabbed my suit jacket. I grabbed the hotel bottled water on the floor and tossed it into my backpack. the toilet had emptied water all over the bathroom floor. this whole time I still thought we had just had part of the big one and was wondering what my family was doing, if they were alive and alright. I chose my boots and stuffed my sneakers into my pack. I opened the door and the hallway was pitch black, except for others stepping out of their rooms lit by their cell phones. The exit lights were out. Cell phones helped us out. I walked with elderly people in their pajamas and canes walking through the halls and down stairwells. No one was running. No one was talking. We didnt know where we were going and got stuck in a dead end. One of he exit doors was a few doors from the end. There cracks in the walls and ceiling everywhere, only seen when someones cell phone light went up in a sweep. We got outside to a side door and had to take some time to figure out where we were. Everyone was just standing around quietly. there wasnt anyone crying nor people giving instructions. Just people standing out in the parking lot. Car alarms were going off, we heard sirens but it was dark out. I texted my family, tried calling but the call would never try to connect. I had Facebook access and posted. I walked to my car and put the stuff I grabbed in the trunk and went back. I dont know why I went back, it was less of a nagging need to help but curiosity to see what was happening. Thats probably idiotic delirium. I walked BACK in the lobby like a dumb shit. Napa hotel lobbies all have wine events and there was one when I arrived earlier in the day. The place REEKED of wine and glass was everywhere. I saw people in pajamas cleaning and sweeping. They were employees and helping clean. We stood/sat outside for a few hours. I found out that the quake was limited. A lot of people in the hotel were from out of the country and had never experienced an earthquake before. I eventually got in touch with my family and a few members of the wedding party. Everyone was OK. and apparently I felt it the most. I eventually went back into the hotel, they let me back in my room (had to escort me to the room because I couldnt pick up my key card). The attendant at the front desk, the one I said hello too when I arrived from the wedding, was taken to the hospital for concussion. I moved all of my remaning stuff into my car in the dark and listened to the radio and watched ambulances and fire engines speed by. When the sun finally came out and I heard on the radio that the roads were open I decided to go home. Many thanks to Hilton for setting out water and fruit for the guests. On the way home, I saw all of the gas stations had set up blockades. I saw the cracked roads and a few cracked buildings. i drove by a block where water was clearly flooding from somewhere. PG&E trucks were blocking the way so I think there live power lines down. There was CHP all over and they coned off a lot of the streets. A few things that in hindsight, I think I could have prepared better: - keep your phone, keys, and safe/comfortable shoes nearby ALWAYS. I was literally moving furniture and putting my head and hands beneath the bed in the dark to look for keys. I was doing this and waiting for the building to collapse and aftershocks. - keep water somewhere accessible. My first thought was that the outside world was a disaster. - also make sure you keep a sweater, a small blanket (I needed this outside), a small towel. - bolt all of your tall furniture to the walls. Do it. Do it now. DONT WAIT. - This sounds lame but when youre checking into a hotel, DO take the time to find out where the emergency exits are. It was so dark that there would have been no way to find out where I was going without my phone. The truth is that Californians have some experience with earthquakes, we have a strong infrastructure and emergency response system, communication and support systems. It wasnt good and theres a lot of damage and people are hurt but I have to say that this 6.1 could have been much much worse as it has been in other countries. It makes me sympathize with people in countries that dont have these things.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 18:04:00 +0000
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