In remembrance of the Loma Prieta earthquake which happened 25 years ago Friday, on October 17, 1989 SFist will be devoting some special coverage to the historical record of the quake itself, and its aftermath, over the next several days.
This New York Times documentary-style piece on the Loma Prieta quake came out in April and it clocks in at 11 minutes. Its focus is on the rebuilding and retrofitting efforts that have taken place in the quarter century since the quake, and how Californians may have, in some cases, slipped into complacency in recent years.
The short film delves into the fact that the Pacific Northwest is overdue for a big one of their own, with the last one occurring some 300 years ago and the timeline being around every 240 years for those. In fact, if you watch this, you'll be far more freaked out about living in Portland than you are about living in the Bay Area, with the possibility discussed of a magnitude 9 "mega-event" off-shore in Oregon that could cause a devastating tsunami.
Among the interviewees are former mayor Art Agnos, the MTC's Steve Heminger (on the topic of the Bay Bridge eastern span replacement), and hazard mitigration specialist Jay Wilson.
As Agnos says, it was "one of the most-watched natural disasters in history." And as Wilson says, "It is evangelical... it's a righteous truth when you're talking about earthquake safety."
Previously: Harrowing CHP Footage Of Cypress Freeway And Bay Bridge Rescues
Watch ABC7's Cheryl Jennings Reporting Live Right After The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake