CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Staff of Lutheran Disaster Response, a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is assessing damage left behind by an earthquake which struck 10 miles northeast of Olympia, Wash., and 35 miles southwest of Seattle, Feb. 28.
"The earthquake was the strongest to hit the area since 1949. Thousands were evacuated during the earthquake, which lasted less than a minute," said the Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, director for Lutheran Disaster Response.
"One death has been attributed to a heart attack," Furst said. About 250 individuals were hospitalized, but there are no life- threatening injuries reported, he said.
Furst said initial reports indicate that there was light damage to homes, mostly cracks in foundations and chimneys.
"Five houses were destroyed in the Renton area, where landslides blocked a river that then backed into neighborhoods. A number of older residential hotels for the elderly have sustained damage, and some folks are in shelters," he said.
Staff of Lutheran Family Service of Oregon and Southwest Washington and Lutheran Social Services of Washington and Idaho are managing assessments.
"There is recognition that new needs will continue to arise as assessments continue," Furst said.
"The 'lucky' part of this earthquake is that it occurred some 30 miles below the surface. Despite the magnitude of the earthquake, the depth lessened the amount of damage on the surface," Furst said.
"The 'prepared' part of the earthquake is reflected in the strict building codes that have been enforced since 1978 and involvement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Project Impact," Furst said. "This has, in essence, prepared buildings for the eventuality of an earthquake. New buildings 'traveled well' when the earth was heaving in waves."
No damage or injuries have been reported at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), Tacoma, Wash., or at the ELCA Southwestern Washington Synod office in Seattle. PLU is one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA.
DOMESTIC DISASTERS:
Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds for aid to survivors
of major disasters inside the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S.
Virgin Islands, please include:
ELCA Domestic Disaster Response
P.O. Box 71764
Chicago, IL 60694-1764
800-638-3522
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
