October 17, 1989, 5:04pm

[Fistandantalus]

San Francisco.  I was visiting from college up in Oregon and dropping off some folks who had caught a ride with me in the Marina District before heading up to Marin when the earthquake hit.  The street buckled; cars were sliding down and trash cans were rolling everywhere.  We ditched the car and ran towards an alley between two brick buildings.  Glass was everywhere; a woman slipped and fell, cutting herself pretty badly.  One of my friends had had the presence of mind to grab the first aid kit from the car, so we were able to bandage her up a bit before we had to move again because bricks were beginning to fall on us.  There was literally nowhere to run.  The ground gave out from under us as we ran; it was as if the ground was trying to swallow us.  The top floors of houses were crushing the lower floors.  A water main burst, soaking us and causing more people to slip and slide in fresh mud.  Then we heard the sirens and saw the smoke from fires beginning to take hold of the crushed houses.  A woman was screaming that her child was still in a house that had become nothing but rubble.  Emergency workers were helping the injured nearby so we left the woman who had gotten cut with them and began trying to extricate people from under the debris along with more emergency workers.

Most of that has become a blur in my mind, because I saw things nobody should ever have to see.

[debmom07]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 11:38 AM

wow that is really something to have survied.

[JoyeAustin]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 1:02 PM

Damn, Liz.  :(

[akcsmom]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 1:24 PM

I too have lived through an earthquake... Not to that degree.. I was luckier.  I was in Simi Valley when the quake of '70' hit ...6.9 centered a little north of us but it leveled the VA hospital and the new (at that time) freeway to Simi Valley. It is as you say ...it feels like the ground is going to swollow you up.

[goddessmonica]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 2:11 PM

I've never experienced an earthquake. Well, one little one in Germany (of all places) but it was nothing like you described. Wow......

[ErikaRobin]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 3:26 PM

I think Joye said it best.  Damn.  :(

 

[ivansmom07]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 4:00 PM

Dear God, Liz. :o(

[bettyboopfla63]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 5:13 PM

Incidents like that certainly make you thankful for what you have and realize that it can all be gone in an instant.

[gypsysmiles]

Sep. 13, 2008 at 11:36 PM

wow...

[julylady58]

Sep. 17, 2008 at 1:49 PM

Wow, that is intense!

[kerijeanbean]

Sep. 17, 2008 at 10:06 PM

Liz, I lived in Santa Cruz at the time.  I know exactly what you are talking about.  I can also say been there, done that.  Sending you some great big hugs.