The 17 October 1989 earthquake wasn't the worst recent American earthquake—well, it was until the 1994 Northridge quake. And it wasn't the jolt that roused the Bay Area from its aura of sleepy denial—plenty of folks, including me, remembered the 1957 Daly City shock well. But it's the earthquake that made more news than anything since 1906, because it picked a prime time to happen, just moments before Game 3 of the baseball World Series. People feel like they were there even if they weren't there at all, because it happened live on TV.
It's easy for someone like me, a Bay area resident, to wallow in memories of my special local tragedy. I try not to, because every major earthquake is a special local tragedy, and I firmly believe that "on a round Earth, every point is the center of the world." But with the 20th anniversary of my special earthquake coming up I plan to do just a little wallowing. If you'd like to record your Loma Prieta earthquake story, I'm collecting them. Read mine if your memory needs jogging—fat chance of that this week—and add your tale here.
More:
My Loma Prieta story
Loma Prieta +15 years
L.P. +16 yrs
Other historic earthquakes
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