SEATTLE — Where were you when the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake shook Seattle in 2001?
Friday marks 24 years since the Nisqually earthquake shook the region. The 6.8 magnitude quake was centered about 11 miles northeast of Olympia, and felt from Seattle to Grays Harbor.
The earthquake struck the region at 10:54 a.m. on Feb. 28, 2001 and lasted for nearly a minute. Damage to buildings in Seattle and Olympia cost nearly $2 billion to repair. One person died of a heart attack, and at least 400 people needed medical attention.
KOMO News crews were in skyscrapers, where the buildings swayed and windows buckled. We were in Pioneer Square, where people ran screaming into the street as bricks fell. A photographer outside the Space Needle captured the sound of the quake.
Anchor Dan Lewis and producer Ethan Morris were both at home, hours before their work day was supposed to begin.
Morris was on the phone with the newsroom from his Queen Anne home. “Everything shaking, stuff was falling off of my walls, and glass was shattering. And it seemed like forever but finally, the shaking ended,” Morris said.” And I just said, ‘OK, well, I’ll see you in a few minutes.'”
“My house started to rattle,” Lewis said. “I hadn’t showered or shaved so it was a quick get ready and get to work fast. It’s one thing about this job. You are on call 24/7 if there’s a big story.”
2001 wasn’t the first big earthquake KOMO News has covered. Our crews were on scene for the 6.7 quake of 1965.
At a time when most people rush home to check on their families, our news crews get to work.
“It was a situation where you knew the community needed some help and guidance,” Lewis said.
“It feels best when you feel like you’re getting information out to people and helping them,” Morris said.
