I enjoyed your article about the 1980 earthquake. I at the time was a young mother of two children ages 3 years & 4 years. My husband worked at the Lab & I worked at a drafting firm out on Concannon across from what is now the Albertson shopping center. The evening of the earthquake I wrote about 3 pages in my journal about the news available (some was later proven to be false) and my experience. Here it is as follows.

"Jan. 24, 1980
We all had an experience that really shook us up today and I really mean that. At a couple seconds after 11 a.m. an earthquake hit. Its center was located about 10 miles northwest of Livermore and it registered 5.5 on the Richter scale and was felt worse in Livermore but it was also felt as far away as Reno, Nevada and Santa Cruz so it was pretty powerful. It caused quite a bit of damage but no one was killed or seriously hurt. There turned out to be a small radioactive leak at the Lab but was not considered dangerous. A trailer park out in Springtown was demolished when trailers and mobile homes fell off there foundations. Stores lost windows and merchandise, and houses where without electricity until 6 p.m and telephones were almost impossible to get through on until 9 p.m tonight. When the quake hit I was in a store shopping for my boss and I drove to the school to make sure the boys were OK and then to my mom's to make sure she was O.K. and then I went back to work until I heard on the radio that there were reports of injuries at the Lab and that the Lab was being evacuated. Then I came home to make sure Frank was O.K. A time like this really helps you to stop and think how important your family is to you and how dearly you love them. Frank turned out to be fine which I was really relieved and happy to find out. He dove under his desk when the quake hit and didn't come out until it was over and then he got out of there quickly. By evening things have calmed down but then we had a big aftershock of 4.6 and this really scared little Franklyn so he is going to sleep with us tonight and I pray he'll be more relaxed tomorrow. It didn't faze Billy one little bit.
Jan 25, 1980
Today was almost worse than yesterday. All day everyone was jumpy. I guess afraid something more would happen. When trucks roared by or any loud noise happened I jumped and could feel the quake all over again. But then we got super busy and it relaxed me and got my mind off it.
Jan 26, 1980
Just when we were starting to relax and things were getting back to normal around here a second earthquake hit. This one was a 5.6 and was felt more in Pleasanton, Dublin & San Ramon. We all squeezed under a doorjam and were safe."

My main memories were of standing in a store watching everything fall off the shelf and wondering where I could duck and hide. As I was leaving the grocery center to go check on my children, women where running through the parking lot and I heard one woman crying and scream "the schools." I felt pretty calm at the time. Also when I got to my children's preschool I found out the teachers had told the children they were bears and to get in their "cave" under a table when the quake hit. My biggest worry and fear was my husband because I knew he worked in a basement under a huge computer and it took so long for him to get home that day (hours instead of minutes). I could not contact him to find out if he was alright. Then the rumours of radioactivity leaks and having to evacuate town seem to spread and made things even worse as I wonder how I would ever find my husband if we had to leave town without him. My one son who was 4 years old was terrified of the quake and would climb under the coffee table at the littlest noise for months afterward, while my 3 year old son didn't even seem to feel any concern. My husband and his sister had both attended Catholic school and said they had been so well trained that they both were under their desks at work before anyone else in their office could even react.

Diane M.