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Where Were You 23 Years Ago on Oct. 17?

Is San Mateo County better off after the Loma Prieta earthquake? Are we better prepared for the next one?

Posted by Patch Staff, October 17, 2012 at 05:31 pm

At 5:04 p.m. on Oct. 17, 1989 the ground in San Mateo County shook.

A lot of the area's attention was focused on the World Series game that was about to start between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, but suddenly sports was insignificant as a 6.9 quake centered at Loma Prieta in Nisene Marks Park, rocked Nothern California.

The Bay Area would never be the same.

What do you remember about the day and the time? How has your life changed?

Have we learned from the disaster and are we better prepared for the next one?

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Larry Shaine October 17, 2012 at 06:10 pm

I was at World Seriws game 3, at Cadlestick Park, with my uncle from Portland, Oregon.
My son was a supervisor for SF Giants security, and was able to get us tickets.

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Laura Dudnick (Editor) October 17, 2012 at 06:45 pm

Wow, you were at the game?? Cool!!

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Al Schwoerer October 17, 2012 at 10:41 pm

My wife and my dad was at the game waiting for it to start. Just 23 years ago....no cell phone to find out how she was doing could only hope for the best. My wife hates being up in high places and they were just a few rows down from the top. She sold the rest of her tickets.

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Steve Toler October 18, 2012 at 10:56 am

Unlike my friend Larry (color me envious), I was working as a CPA auditing the books of the City of Martinez. Some of the brick facade on the building began to crumble as we were exiting the building when it started. I recall calling my wife (somehow got through!) and I could hear the fear in her voice. I decided to take the Caldecott Tunnel on 24 down to 880. As I merged onto 880, it was eerily replete of any vehicles. It was only then that some of radio stations came back on and I heard that it had collapsed. The aftershocks were just as unsettling as the real event.

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Meghan October 18, 2012 at 07:17 pm

I was laying in a bassinet spitting up milk.

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