Past Tense Oregon: Spring Break Quake 22 years ago was literally a wake-up call

It was Spring Break and when people in the Portland area went to bed on Wednesday evening, a lot of them probably were looking forward to a little extra sleep Thursday morning.

No such luck, however, on March 25, 1993.

At 5:34 a.m., one of the stronger earthquakes to hit the area in years jolted residents from Salem to Portland awake, shaking homes, rattling windows, and seriously damaging several structures throughout the area.  Damage estimates reached about $28 million in 1993 dollars.

Among the more seriously damaged buildings were the state capitol in Salem and Molalla High School.   A bridge near Dayton was also damaged and had to be closed for a time.

While no one died as a result of the shaking, and only a few were injured, it was reminder that all those warnings from geologists about the eventual "Big One" coming along some day weren't just scare tactics.

As reported in The Oregonian the next morning:

''This is not a unique event, it is not a surprise,'' said Ian P. Madin, a seismic hazard specialist with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. ''It reminds us that we have to get ready. And we should take that message to heart.''

While the Spring Break Quake - known officially as the Scotts Mills earthquake - registered just 5.6 on the Richter scale, no one slept through it.  It shook the ground for 45 seconds, was felt as far north as Seattle, as far south as Roseburg and was rated later as "very strong" on the Mercalli Intensity Scale.

Since the Spring Break Quake, geologists and seismologists have been diligent about trying to increase earthquake awareness in the area.  They regularly issue news releases and warnings about the importance of being ready for such an event because research shows the region could suffer a "megaquake" of the type that hit the region on Jan. 26, 1700, at any time.

That quake, research indicates, was probably between magnitude 8.7 and 9.2. Such a quake would probably kills scores if not hundreds and do as much as $30 billion in damage to the area.

Since nothing can be done to prevent an earthquake, the best thing, officials say, is to be prepared. With that in mind, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management used the 315th anniversary of the megaquake earlier this year to issue another plea to residents of the region to do what they can to prepare.   Among their suggestions:

- Check out "Living on Shaky Ground: How to Survive Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Oregon" published by Oregon Emergency Management.

- Read the "Without Warning Comic Book" produced by Dark Horse Comics.

- Visit Ready.gov for resources on how you can be prepared before, during and after an earthquake.

-- John Killen and Drew Vattiat

503-221-8538; @johnkillen

Sources:  The Oregonian, Wikipedia

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