Video: Remembering the Nisqually earthquake 20 years later
Feb 26, 2021, 5:41 AM
Twenty years ago this Sunday, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Olympia around 10:54 a.m. What became known as the Nisqually earthquake shook the area for almost a minute. The ripple effects of the earthquake would be recognized for years to come — in the form of testing the viaduct, repairing the Capitol dome, and countless reminders that the Big One is coming.
In this video, Seattle historian Feliks Banel retells the morning’s events with KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross, who happened to be on the air waves at that moment. Relive the moment with footage from KIRO 7 and from Dave inside the studio 10 years later.
The Nisqually earthquake was felt in Oregon, Canada, and Eastern Washington. A woman in Burien died of a heart attack and about 200 people were injured. Damage was reported in older Seattle neighborhoods, mostly to buildings with brick facades. The air traffic control tower at Sea-Tac International Airport was also damaged. Several businesses, bridges, and schools closed across the area while safety inspections were conducted.
President George W. Bush declared the Puget Sound area a natural disaster area.
