‘The air was very still.’ WA native recounts memory of earthquake inside Capitol building
Today is the 22nd anniversary of the day the Nisqually earthquake shook south Puget Sound. We asked you what your experiences were like on that morning in 2001, and we shared your responses. One Washington resident, Jim Ruble, was at the state capitol building in Olympia during the legislative session opening when the trembling began. Ruble shared his vivid memory of what occurred on the Senate floor.
I was the inside security doorman assigned to the state senate chamber on the day of the Nisqually earthquake. That morning, as I walked from the general administration building parking lot along the overpass across Capitol Way, the air was very still. Strangely several seagulls and crows walked with me along the overpass. They were making no sound, and none flew away or even seemed concerned that I was so close to them.
I took up my post inside the Senate chamber. Working with me was retired Washington State Patrol Sgt. Don Hurst, who served as assistant sergeant at arms. We busied ourselves preparing the chamber for the arrival of the senators, staff and pages who worked the floor that day. Legislative assistants to the senate leadership were in the senators’ offices, and lobbyists paraded in and out, meeting with senators and staff.
As 10 a.m. approached, lobbyists were escorted outside the chamber door and preparations continued. The Senate Pages arrived, and the Senate was called to order by Lt. Governor Brad Owen. The 51st day of the Legislature session was underway. Opening ceremonies were completed. Soon after, the Senate went at ease for caucus meetings. Pages returned to their classroom.
I was positioned outside the Democratic Caucus room door when the earthquake began. A rumbling that sounded like a freight train filled the building as the ground shook. Years of supervising school earthquake drills moved me to the open doorway of Tacoma Senator Rosa Franklin’s office. Her staff members were safely under their desks. As the quake continued, I ran to the Senate floor looking for Don. The air was filled with an incredible amount of dust. We looked out of the ceremonial doors at the back of the chamber to see the huge Tiffany chandelier bouncing up and down like a Yo-yo on a short string — not swaying, but bouncing.
When the shaking stopped, everything was very quiet. Concerned senators began to exit their respective caucus rooms. Don and I encouraged them to leave as quickly as possible. There was no panic; senators filed out in twos and threes. Don and I began to check on the Senate staff to see what assistance might be needed. We spoke very loudly to each other as we walked to give reassurance and directions to leave the building quickly. Staffers exited the building, some helping others, some sharing their stories. All were very frightened.
In the two-fourth floor Senate galleries, Bill Mason (a former Centralia mayor) and Bob Kelly (the candidate who ran for attorney general as “Bunco Bob” for the humorous Owl Party) led several busloads of senior citizens down three flights of stairs to safety outside. Again there was no panic.
Senator Darlene Fairley of Shoreline, a former nurse who had served in Vietnam, was on crutches after a debilitating permanent back injury incapacitated her. She was helped down two flights of stairs by Norm Josephson, who may be remembered as the voice of the Senate who read bills and called the role during votes, and myself. It took several very long minutes to travel from the third floor to ground level where the three of us safely exited. We were the last to leave the capitol building.
Everyone gathered in the Pritchard Building parking lot where retired State Patrol Sgt. and Head of Senate Security Denny Lewis had established a command post in a parked patrol car. State Patrol troopers reported in from around Puget Sound, giving road reports to pass onto senators who wanted to go home to their families.
Several days later, I was informed by the general services administration that an additional 30 seconds of shaking would have forced the capitol dome to fall through the roof of the senate chamber. As it was, none of the elected officials, staff or visitors on campus that day were injured during the earthquake. Some training and lot of good luck had paid off.
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 11:13 AM with the headline "‘The air was very still.’ WA native recounts memory of earthquake inside Capitol building."
