tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post2731084996031675114..comments2023-11-13T15:58:31.220-08:00Comments on HOLLYE DEXTER: Remembering the Northridge EarthquakeHollye Dexterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10184998678584429429noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-8211922214655932052016-01-19T09:10:24.412-08:002016-01-19T09:10:24.412-08:00 after the completion of all these classes, we all... after the completion of all these classes, we all were assigned to a Disaster Action Team (DAT). Within a week, the 1994 Northridge Earthquake hit topping 7.0 recording 6.9, followed by 5.0 ever 20 minutes for a week then every hour for months. My home was hit hard, my children and I got out of the house un-hurt however, there were some close calls, I didn’t think we would as the refrigerator was thrown towards the middle of the room as most of the furniture was, well my middle child was holding on for dear life on the top bunk of her bed and my youngest survived a near miss by a 3’ x 7’ glass doll display hutch (she fell asleep on the formal family room couch) while my son slept throw it. The phones lines were down (we only had pagers then). We lost our rabbit and dog. With all that said; The Disaster Action Team. I was assigned too, in Simi Valley, California were trained to know where to report in this type of Disaster so with my three children I went to the Simi Valley High School and we had a Mass Care Shelter opened and serving hot food with 5 hours of the Northridge Earthquake. After the first 24 hours the Mass Care had to move to Royal High School, due to damage Simi High School structural building encountered. We had 240 people in one place. After the first month of that disaster I was assigned to an emergency assistance booth next to the FEMA booth. This was the beginning of my new paid start with American Red Cross. Resources opened an opportunity for ARC in the form of a Grant, for a two paid staff personal in an office, and ARC open it up in Simi Valley my home town, “Guess who was one of the Two, yes it was Diana Grace., CEO and I was her assistant, the media was all other that story “Single Mom on Welfare Lands Job by Volunteering for American Red Cross” front page. Kathrin Downes-Huard raised in Simi Valldey, CaKathrin Downes - Huardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13662630513143384056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-19711749169351507932013-01-10T14:30:31.020-08:002013-01-10T14:30:31.020-08:00I just came across this through a link a friend sh...I just came across this through a link a friend shared. I was there in 1994 when the Northridge quake happened. I live in Colorado now but I am a native Californian, fourth generation. I am used to earthquakes. Some jolt suddenly without warning. Some roll and sound like a freight train coming right through the middle of your living room. Some shake softly and you wonder if it really was a quake. Still, some shake for what feels like an eternity. Some do no damage and some do deadly and devastating damage. The Northridge quake was the later. We were one of the fortunate in that the only damage we sustained were a few broken trinkets and part of the stucco on the outside of the house at our eldest daughter's bedroom. When we gained enough consciousness to realize what was happening, we ran down the hall to get to our kids. Our oldest was awake and heading toward us but our youngest was still asleep. I tried to rouse her but with no success. I finally just scooped her up and we all headed out to our small RV that just happened to be parked out on the street. Before I even got to the front door I noticed my husband wasn't with us. I called for him. He was in the dining room standing in front of an open bookcase that was filled with pressed glass dishes I had been collecting for twenty years. He was facing the case, spread eagle, trying to hold it still. He shouted, "Don't worry, honey. I've got the dishes!" At that moment I was more frightened of that bookcase falling over with all that glass on it crushing him beneath it than I was of that stupid earthquake. I told him to let it go but he insisted on saving it. Our girls were afraid for him too and also yelled for him to let it go. He finally did and we ran for the safety of our little RV. All our neighbors were out on the street waiting for the shaking to stop. Once we got the all clear, we went back inside to check out the damage and secure utility lines. The bookcase was still standing and none of the glass was broken. To this day, we talk about that quake and we always tease our youngest that she could sleep through anything.Kathy Cleeknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-44058827477100545592012-04-24T13:27:08.391-07:002012-04-24T13:27:08.391-07:00Bird,
So sorry I didn't see your comment unt...Bird, <br /><br />So sorry I didn't see your comment until just now. I hope your report got a wonderful grade, and I'm glad this blog helped you to understand your assignment in a deeper way. xoHollye Dexterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10184998678584429429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-3931224566573511152012-02-16T16:42:40.097-08:002012-02-16T16:42:40.097-08:00sorry about the grammarsorry about the grammarAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-61794639968100350622012-02-16T16:33:39.024-08:002012-02-16T16:33:39.024-08:00dear hoyllye
I am a middle schooler and i had a ...dear hoyllye <br /> I am a middle schooler and i had a assnment to right a report on a this earthquake and i was looking up stuff about this earthquake and i had this feling not a good feeling but bad and i was thinking of that day in 1994<br />and the people who died and how they left behind there family and now i dont think tis is just another assinment. And I thankyou from the bottom of my heart for making this page and enlighten me <br /> from,<br /> birdAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-69940218356544275522012-01-25T08:28:02.188-08:002012-01-25T08:28:02.188-08:00Wow Donald- what an incredible story. You should w...Wow Donald- what an incredible story. You should write it for your son.<br />Judy- yes! Prepare. This story reminded me to do that- I have a very old emergency kit with expired food and such. Time to update that.Hollye Dexterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10184998678584429429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-86713589920586306872012-01-25T00:21:22.472-08:002012-01-25T00:21:22.472-08:00Hollye,
The 1989 quake was a sign that my son was ...Hollye,<br />The 1989 quake was a sign that my son was about to be born. I was in Oakland that night and the vision of the collapsed bridges was like something from outer space. Twisted steel reaching toward the heavens, people crying, people trying to squeeze in between the upper span that was now on the lower. You can hear people in there but you can't get to them. A chunk of my hair being pulled out when an angry fireman yanked me out roughly by my feet. He wanted to punch me, I thought. I drove 100 miles an hour on an empty freeway from San Jose to Oakland just to get to that very spot and then when I got there I was so helpless. All rescue attempts were stopped because of aftershocks. All I could do was cry. I never told my wife this story when I got home just as the sun was rising. She was so pregnant and I just cried as I held her-she was alright and so was I, at least on the outside, well except for the bump on my head. My son is 22 years old now.<br />DonaldDonald K. Sandershttp://ipinion.usnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-76623468112567473592012-01-22T16:04:07.102-08:002012-01-22T16:04:07.102-08:00This does make me want to revisit our earthquake p...This does make me want to revisit our earthquake provisions! Vivid!Judy Nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-32203467677522303482012-01-17T20:51:27.853-08:002012-01-17T20:51:27.853-08:00Thanks for sharing your story Jennifer. Mother Nat...Thanks for sharing your story Jennifer. Mother Nature can be beautiful and terrifying. I also remember that night, with all the power outages, how bright and wondrous the stars were.Hollye Dexterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10184998678584429429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-58459089357966782622012-01-17T18:09:30.303-08:002012-01-17T18:09:30.303-08:00I wasn't in LA for the earthquake - I live in ...I wasn't in LA for the earthquake - I live in NorCal - but I sure remember the SF quake in 89! Feeling the shaking, wondering if my boyfriend made it out of the Berkeley campus, and seeing the Bay Bridge collapse are memories I'll never forget.<br />http://mamawolfe-living.blogspot.comJennifer Wolfehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11114021307777091105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-72757875261106217732012-01-17T15:33:00.471-08:002012-01-17T15:33:00.471-08:00Well Georgie, we rock and roll every twenty or thi...Well Georgie, we rock and roll every twenty or thirty years, but we survive. And in the years between, we have this stunning weather. Today, January 17th, it is sunny and 78 degrees! : )Hollye Dexterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10184998678584429429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-488757155668840939.post-65343160561146771792012-01-17T14:11:08.688-08:002012-01-17T14:11:08.688-08:00Omgosh Hollye…..I can't even imagine going thr...Omgosh Hollye…..I can't even imagine going through an earthquake or living with the fear of it happening again. I know it comes with the territory when you live in California!! I thank God also….that you all stayed safe…..and sad for the ones who did not. <br /><br />♥♥♥♥♥Georgiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14320369426570417540noreply@blogger.com