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Friday, March 2, 2001

No one was killed when the quake, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, rocked western Washington, causing about 250 injuries and damage over a wide area. The death of a woman from heart failure was possibly connected to the quake.

City officials said Thursday that the city had likely escaped more serious damage thanks to the 30-mile depth of the epicenter and, more importantly, earlier preparations and strict building codes aimed at minimizing earthquake damage.

"If this had happened 10 years ago, it would be a very different story," said City Councilwoman Jan Drago.

Many businesses and government buildings remained closed Thursday, but most Seattle residents appeared to be getting back into their daily routine without difficulty. Commuters experienced difficulty getting around, as many bridges and freeway ramps remained closed until engineers could determine whether they were sound.

"Commuters should continue to expect some traffic delays today with closed roads and bridges, including freeway on-ramps and Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct," the state Emergency Management Division said in a statement.

Passenger and freight trains remained halted while tracks were inspected, the EMD said.

Piles of shattered glass and crumbled brick in historic Pioneer Square and other parts of the downtown area drew curious onlookers and television cameras as well as clean-up crews.

"We are going to be fine," Mayor Paul Schell told CNN. "We are a resilient city."

While most of the damage appeared to be cosmetic, inspectors will need to take a closer look at buildings to see if damage to foundations and walls would require some structures to be condemned and evacuated.

Gov. Gary Locke has estimated that the damage toll would easily top $1 billion, much of which probably would not be covered by insurance. Other estimates have been as high as $2 billion.

"Standard homeowners and renters policies do not cover damage from the earthquake in Washington state without supplemental coverage," the Insurance Information Institute warned in a statement.

The institute said fewer than one-third of Washington homeowners had earthquake insurance, which is expensive and carries a high deductible of as much as 10 percent to 25 percent of the home's value.

The 6.4 Northridge quake that struck the Los Angeles area in 1994 caused $13 billion in insured damage alone, the institute said.

President Bush dispatched Joe Allbaugh, his director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to the scene to find out what aid the federal government would be able to offer.

FEMA officials said that the agency was waiting for a formal request from the state to have a federal disaster declaration issued, which would make communities eligible for federal emergency relief funds.

A federal medical assistance team was on standby to be sent to Washington, as were Army Corps of Engineers units that specialize in assessing structural damage and keeping water systems in operation.

Puget Sound Energy reported that virtually all of the 200,000 customers who lost power in the quake probably would have their lights back on by Thursday.

Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved.