Nisqually Earthquake Remembrance Day

On February 28, 2001, at exactly 10:54 a.m., the earth beneath Western Washington decided to get everyone’s attention.

The 2001 Nisqually earthquake—a magnitude 6.8—rattled Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, and just about every coffee mug in a five-county radius. The shaking lasted for about 45 very long seconds.  If you lived here then, you probably remember the universal opening line:  “Was that a truck?”  It was not a truck.  It was an event that occurred 30+ miles beneath the surface and reminded us, not so subtilely, that the Pacific Northwest is geologically dynamic (occasionally dramatic).

For a few hours that day, we were all in it together.

• Strangers checking on strangers
• Office workers sharing cell phones
• Radio stations turning into lifelines

There’s something about disasters that create instant community.

Here are a few steps you can take now to prepare for whatever lies ahead…

• Sign up for “Alert Seattle“
• Download other useful smartphone apps so you’re “Tech Ready“
• Buy a gallon, or two, of bottled water the next time you visit the grocery store and tuck it away

You’ll never regret taking a few steps to become better prepared.