My Personal Experience in the Sylmar Earthquake (aka: The San Fernando Earthquake)

The earthsnake stretched

Homes fell, roads torn asunder

Snake swallowed its tail!

February 9, 1971. My world was bright and happy, as if painted by an artist who didn't

know the meaning of shadows, or see gathering pools of darkness. I had

gotten up early to take a warm, relaxing bubble bath before getting myself and my nine

year old ready for work and school. My child was still sleeping. We lived in the Valley.

Suddenly, there was a huge sound, and all the lights went out. My head was resting on the edge of the tub. It's hard to say what happened. It was like a giant hand had grabbed my head and was pushing it back against the tub - hard - and it wouldn't

let go! I tried to lift my head, and I couldn't. It shocked me! Waves of water were coming close to my nose. Finally it released me, probably after a few seconds, but it felt like forever!

All I could think of was, I was okay, but what about my child! I grabbed my robe

stuck my feet into my slippers (I'd heard the sound of breaking glass) and rushed to

the bedroom and jumped on the bed. Two indignant eyes glared at me. "Mother! You

woke me up. It's too early to get up." I apologized, and said yes, it was too early

to get up. I was thankful she had slept through it all, and I figured bed was the safest place for her to be.

I thought there had been an explosion. I felt my way to the door. I lived on the second floor of a two story apartment building. I wasn't sure if there was still a walkway

outside my door, so I crawled out the door, feeling for the cement with my hands.

Thankfully, it was there. But were the stairs still there? I heard two men talking downstairs. I pulled myself up and called to them. "Did the water heater explode?"

"No," one called back, "It was an earthquake." "Are the stairs still there. Can I walk on the stairs?" "Yes," he said, "They look safe."

The Age of innocence had ended. I was now in the Age of Experience. My life was no longer without shadows or pools of darkness, for Death walked the streets of the City of Angels, and of the Valley, with raging Destruction growling at his side.

The San Fernando Earthquake:

According to the Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1971_San_FernandoEarthquake)

(aka the Sylmar Earthquake) The quake struck at 6:00:55 am PST on February 9, 1971 with a magnitude of 6.6. Among other things, it destroyed two hospitals, two freeway interchanges, and the lower Van Norman Dam. Sixty-five people were killed

by the monstrous tremor, including a man who died when the Midnight Mission toppled at 2nd and Los Angeles Streets. Olivera Street was a shamble of collapsed stalls and scattered merchandise. (according to an article in the Herald Examiner, February 9, 1971 (Los Angeles Fire Department, Historical Archives) LosAngelesFire.com.