Thirty years ago this evening the country was settling in to watch the 3rd game of the World Series between the Oakland Athletics and the home team San Francisco Giants — a SF Bay area matchup. I was tuned in like millions of others, and was hoping to see if I could spot my brother on tv who was attending his first World Series game. Shortly before the first pitch disaster struck in the form of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake.
An earthquake of that size is a very BIG deal. Sixty three people died as a result, and nearly 3800 were injured. Of the deaths, 42 occurred in the collapse of the double decker Nimitz Freeway in the East Bay.
Nimitz Freeway, Oakland, CA
Had the earthquake not occurred during an evening with the World Series game, it’s likely the fatality count would have been much higher. That evening commuters likely headed home early to enjoy the game on tv, and avoid the traffic of those headed to the game.
It addition to that section of the I-880/Nimitz Freeway collapse, a portion of the I-80 Bay Bridge collapsed, which shutdown a major cross bay connection between SF and the East Bay.
Nimitz Freeway close up
Candlestick Park after the earthquake
Of course, these two freeways weren’t the only infrastructure failures caused by the earthquake. There were breaks in highways and roads on the San Francisco Peninsula as well.
Additionally, the Marina district of San Francisco sustained incredible amounts of damage, with buildings collapsing and some catching on fire. That part of the city was built on fill and it is extremely unstable in an earthquake.
The World Series eventually continued ten days later in Candlestick Park with the Oakland A’s winning the series in 4 games. My brother made it home safely after several hours, along with his wife who was working in downtown SF at the time.
I moved to the North Bay area a year and a half after the earthquake. The Marina district homes were still covered in netting and scaffolding, and it would be years before they were all rebuilt or repaired. Interstate 880 would eventually be replaced with a single deck freeway and retrofitting began in earnest all over the Bay area.
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On October 17, 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake shook for 15 seconds and changed the Bay Area forever. 30 years later, we remember the Great Quake of '89: https://t.co/sODEHaH33X
Sponsored by @CalQuake
� San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) October 15, 2019
This video shows the live broadcast from a local news station. It’s fascinating to see in real time what was going on and how well the reporters take their responsibility to deliver the news in an emergency. The local news broadcast starts ~3 minutes into the video.
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As is tradition, as Thursday marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 earthquake in SF, we urge you all to watch KGO's Cheryl Jennings broadcast live like a pro even though everyone's power was out and hardly anyone was watching. https://t.co/eamKZHhRD3
� SFist (@SFist) October 14, 2019
All of us face threats to our safety from natural disasters. Take them seriously, plan for them and do what you can to mitigate your risks.
If you need a starting point, USExpat wrote a great diary about preparation for a disaster: Make Your Emergency Plan