On April 13, 1949, a huge 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the Seattle area.  Buildings in the downtown areas of Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia were badly damaged.  The owner of this car probably wasn’t able to drive it home that day!

Structures in areas of the cities built on fill were totally destroyed, and streets crumbled when the ground shifted under them.

This has meaning for me, because on that day, my mother was 9 months pregnant with me, and overdue by two weeks.  She got in the car and drove downtown to go shopping, and my dad was frantic, since she didn’t tell him she was going.  Well, when that earthquake hit, she was standing on Third Avenue, looking in the window of the Bon Marche Department Store.  The plate-glass window fell…inward, away from her, and she was unhurt.  Three days later…Ta Dah!!  I made my appearance.

I always like to say that it took a 7.1-magnitude earthquake to shake me loose!