Mineral County residents share quake recollections

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Reporter Monte Turner spoke with a number of county residents about their feelings on last week’s earthquake in Idaho that shook the ground here in Montana.)

Seismic stations in central Idaho have recorded dozens of aftershocks stemming from last Tuesday night’s 6.5 magnitude earthquake that rattled much of Western Montana.

It will be one of the memories many will likely keep forever and share. Here’s a few to kickstart the conversation.

Name, profession, residence:

Ellen Matz, Colonel, U.S. Air Force, retired. Henderson, near Cabin City

Denley Loge, rancher and legislator. St. Regis

Lori Phelps, volunteer dispatch and driver for the Mineral County Pioneer Council. St. Regis

George and Liz Gupton, retired. Alberton

Joy Bricksen, software quality analyst. Lozeau

Where were you and what were you doing?

EM: Sitting at my computer. I didn’t feel a thing.

DL: I was sitting at my computer getting ready to dial my phone into a conference phone call interview.

My solid chair started rocking and moving. The pictures started rattling on the walls,

but nothing fell down. The dog got up and looked around but didn’t make a fuss. I wrote down the time, knowing what was happening but I wanted to see if it matched times people would report. It did.

LP: In my car in Walmart’s parking lot, car was rocking away. Lol.

GLG: Home having dinner in a house with full basement which may have contributed to its effect.

JB: Getting ready for supper.

Any damage or injuries?

EM: None.

DL: None, but almost.

LP: I noticed when I got home, except for a few things on my porch that fell over.

GLG: No damage.

JB: We had a jar of seashells up on a shelf fall off and break; no biggie. Be careful opening your cabinets in case you have any items hanging on the edge!

How many earthquakes have you experienced?

EM: Three.

DL: I am not sure.

LP: 7+ probably more

GLG: This makes three.

JB: A few, for sure.

Was this the biggest?

EM: By the rating, yes

DL: That not my first shaking but it was the strongest I have felt. A few others I have been on the tractor and only heard reports.

LP: No, 1989. Loma Prieta was a 6.9.

GLG: No but same as one other. We felt the house move side to side for about 30 seconds to one minute. There was some rattling in the furnace and other fixtures but nothing displaced. Mild but quite noticeable.

JB: I remember a couple of years ago there was that quake that was centered up by Lincoln? We did feel that one as we were up Rock Creek so fairly close to the center. It was probably bigger.

However, Bruce Charles in DeBorgia remembers an earthquake that is worth sharing.

Where were you and what were you doing?

I was on final approach to land in an F-4 Phantom II, at Misawa Air Base, on the northern tip of the main island, (Honshu), Japan. I had just come up from Viet Nam.

The runway began a rolling movement as I was just about to land. I decided that as a Lieutenant, I was not paid enough to try to land under those conditions, and just flew down the runway at about 50 or so feet in the air and watched everything being shaken extremely hard.

I then waited about 10 minutes and landed. The earthquake measured 8.3 on the Richter scale. (The most significant/critical damage was to the Fighter Pilots’ Bar...first rescue bird that arrived had a large stash of medicinal “Jack”).

Any damage?

Extensive damage to the base and to the Japanese structures and facilities outside of the base.

“All facilities on base were damaged. No heat for remainder of winter; no electricity for a month; no water for two months. Base delivered five gallons water daily for each family; Red Cross fed residents three times daily.”

Obtained a Japanese “Steam Engine” and that provided some heat in the radiators of some buildings. Fortunately, the Fighter Pilots’ BBQ was considered a priority and we had some heat and hot water...and some backup power.

How many earthquakes have you experienced?

Probably 30 or so that I have felt. I lived as a child in Tokyo, Japan, from 1952-1955, and then was assigned to Misawa Air Base, Japan, from 1968 to 1970. So, earthquakes were a rather normal part of life while in Japan. (Even, screwed up and visited California when they had a pretty good shake in 1970.)

Anything else you’d care to add?

As a result of the 1968 quake, any dependents that were scheduled to travel to Misawa Air Base were supposed to be stopped. However, in the Military’s Finest Tradition, “10% never get the word.” My wife and another of my squadron mate’s wives were traveling together and were not notified so they landed about a week after the quake and so each of us, with our wives and very young children lived for a while in a one room BOQ “hotel room” with the community toilet, shower, etc. , just down the hall in the otherwise all male facility.