Massive explosion in Kitsap picked up by seismometers
Feb 24, 2016, 5:34 AM | Updated: 9:35 am
It's no surprise that an explosion that leveled a Port Orchard home and killed two was felt by residents miles away. (PNSN)
(PNSN)
The explosion that leveled a Port Orchard home and killed a married couple was powerful enough for seismometers to pick up the air vibrations from the blast.
Related: Two dead after Port Orchard house explodes
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network reports air vibrations were picked up by the seismometers at 4:38 a.m.
Port Orchard house explosion rocks our #seismometers across Puget Sound! These are air waves not ground vibrations. pic.twitter.com/nmysv81yzu
— PNSN (@PNSN1) February 23, 2016
That comes as no surprise, as residents reported feeling the explosion from at least as far as the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton.
The blast also caused a flood of 9-1-1 calls that blocked emergency dispatch lines early Tuesday morning.
According to Cencom 911, the emergency dispatch service for Kitsap County, the explosion early Tuesday incited a flurry of reports. But the hefty number of calls caused many 9-1-1 callers to reach a busy signal.
The average number of calls in the 4 a.m. hour to Cencom is about 9. Between 4-4:15 a.m., following the explosion, 205 calls were made to 9-1-1 — only 54 were able to be answered. Between 4:15-30 a.m., a total of 189 calls were made to 9-1-1, but only 83 made it into the center.
Cencom is the 911 dispatch for Kitsap County. If you heard about the explosion this morning in Port Orchard this is referring to this event. Good information for us all.
Posted by East Pierce Firefighters IAFF Local 3520 on Tuesday, February 23, 2016
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