Hi Lowell,

The attached link starts with the data of the 1983 Borah Peak 7.3 earthquake near Challis, ID. Near the bottom of the linked page there are some "individual stories" which are truly amazing. The first story brings to light all of the routine things that happen in a residence during an earthquake and shows that as a result, earthquake preparedness in their household began in earnest.

Note the first quake was large, but so were the aftershocks and if it had to happen anywhere, in Challis it wasn't so bad as it would be right here in my own backyard.

Moving is just moving. Unlike most people, I like to move and do well if I move at least every five years. I like the idea of exploring the new neighborhood, getting to know the neighbors, and enjoying looking at the area with fresh eyes.

My move to Seattle was the most exciting. The first day I arrived it was right in the middle of a thunderstorm with lots of lightning, thunder and hail and shortly thereafter as the clouds broke up, sun and rainbows. During my first month in October 1982 we had a dramatic windstorm. I was living in a huge house with 3000 sq ft and lots of glass doors. The storm made the doors breathe in and out and I looked in anticipation to see if they would actually break and they didn't. My son was quite frightened and wanted us to go and get in the bathroom and I told him, "hey, Mother Nature is at her best right now and I don't want to miss a minute of it." In time he huddled near me and gradually got used to it. We had those kinds of storms often and in time, when the lightning arrived, he'd be standing right next to me enjoying it, just like me. Of course he likes earthquake also and always remembers to tell me every detail he noticed at the time.

On his 19th birthday I asked him if he wanted to go on an adventure for his birthday. He said in an unsure tone, "what kind of adventure?" I told him Parkfield had a 4.2 that morning and I wanted to go and see if we could be there if the near 6.0 arrived. He was game as well as my daughter and we headed off to Parkfield with great expectations. We had a wonderful time, even though we didn't get one single shake. Sometimes imagination is better than the real thing, even when it comes to earthquakes.

Anyway, I'll still be here in Petaluma and keeping my moniker as "The Earthquake Lady." The mayor gave me that little nickname, so I think I'll stick around and keep listening to him when the next quake rolls through and he'll tell me again, "the first thing I thought of was you." I rather like that.

Petra

• 1983 Borah Peak, Idaho EQ Details