I just got word that a major earthquake hit Seattle this morning!!<P>7.0 on the Richter scale!!<P>Murphy lives near Seattle. All friends of Murphy (you know who you are), please pray that he is ok. Call or email if you can.<P>I tried calling a few minutes ago and can't get through... My parents live in Seattle too, and I can't get through to them either. There is no word of injuries at this point. <P>Any news is appreciated...

TS,<P>I too thought of Murph!! I emailed him and told him to let me know that he's ok. So far, nothing though. He would have been at work when it hit.<P>I'll post when I hear something!<P>Mitzi

My Brother and his family also live in Seattle. I've heard that they don't have phone lines or power in a very large area.<P>I'll be praying that everyone is aright also.<P>SL

TS,<P>I got an email from Murph. He's ok!! Safe and sound at home now. <P>Mitzi

Hey Gang,<P> Whew! I'm still alive(brushing rubble off self). That was more excitement than I needed.I thought I was gonna die! Heck of a way to get out of work early.<P> So far,I hear there were no deaths,only injuries.It was a real ground-pounder.No damage to my house that I can see.Yeah,the traffic lights are out,the phone lines are all congested,power is out in some areas,and some roads are out.So,if anyone has family here,be patient.They probably can't contact you,or they're stuck in traffic!<P> Thanks for your concern. <P> ~~Murph/ShakenButNotStirred<BR>

Mitzi,<P>That's great. Thanks for the update.<P>I finally got through to my parents. When I first heard the news and the scale of the earthquake I freaked out. The earthquake in India, and the one in San Francisco was about the same scale. So far, they haven't attributed any fatalities to the earthquake. Just gives you a good feel for the building standards we have in this country compared to some other countries. <P>After San Francisco, supposedly Seattle spent quite a bit of money upgrading their codes and buildings. Looks like money well spent.<P>Ok, fire drill over Back to class!<P>Murph,<BR>Looks like you and I were on the 'puter at the same time...check your email I made a song for ya!<P>Just heard this on CNN<P>The recent earthquake in India was 7.7, with over 30,000 fatalities. Turkey (1997 ?) at 7.6 with 17,000 fatalities. Kobe, Japan (1995) at 6.9 had over 5,000 fatalities.<P>As an engineer, I'm truly in awe and have renewed respect for the men and women who make sure our buildings are safe and are constructed with high standards. <BR><p>[This message has been edited by TheStudent (edited February 28, 2001).]

Glad to hear your OK Murph!!<BR>I pray the other loved ones will be ok.<P>You are correct TS about the building standards in this country especialy Seattle. My Dad was there until '98. He spent 5 years doing sysmic(sp?) retro-fitting of most of the interstate bridgework in around the city. I wonder how the assesment of the structures after this shaker turn out. His company had about a billion dollars in contracts over the past 10 years in the Seattle are. That ought to give you a feel for the amount of $$$ going into infrastructure retro-fitting. They are now in the San Fransico Bay area doing the same work. Hopefully it won't be tested any time soon...<P>Bill

Has anyone heard from CLAIRE (RCoaster)?????<P>I will send her email.... but if anyone hears from her, please post an update!<P>Murph.... glad you are OK buddy.... I came here first to look for everyone when I heard.<P>If you hear any word from Claire, please let me know!<P>Butterfly

Hey guys,<P>I called Claire and actually got thru but only got her answering machine. I told her to call me or email and let me know how she is!<P>I'll let ya know when I hear anything!<P>Mitzi

Mitz....<BR>Thanks! When I lost my cell phone in December, I lost everyone's phone numbers. Including hers. Please let me know when you hear anything. I'm going to be going out for a while tonight, but I'll check in as soon as I get back.<BR>B

Hey all, Susan is out that way too! I haven;t heard from her for a while . <P>Sue are you out there????????

I got an email from Claire.... all is well there, just a little shaken up.<P><BR>

I think a round of prayers thanking God for safety for so many is in order.<P>From what I've heard, the epicenter of this quake was underwater which diminished the danger somewhat. But I didn't hear about it until this morning. Was just totally out of the information loop yesterday.