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 February 28, 2001 : Pacific Northwest Quake (US)



At 10:54 am on Wednesday, February 28, 2001, the most powerful earthquake in more than half a century jolted the PacificNorthwest. The 6.8 magnitude quake could have caused considerably more damage; however, as the quake originated 30 milesbelow the earth, most of its energy had dissipated by the time it reached the surface. Still, there was considerable damage, totaling more than $2 billion, mostly affecting older masonry structures (see Figure). Fortunately, only one death was reported (a quake-related heart attack) and there were a few hundred minor injuries. The quake caused changes to the geography of the area with Seattle sliding about 5 millimeters to the northeast and Olympia dropping a quarter of an inch. The Duwamish River also narrowed by a few inches.




 March 2001 : The World's Largest Oil Rig Sinks (Brazil)

The world's largest oil rig, located 78 miles off the coast of Brazil, was victimized by three mysterious explosions that apparently left up to 10 people dead and one critically burned. The sinking of the 40-story rig has the potential to dump at least 400,000 gallons of crude and diesel oil into the sea. Crews have been standing by to respond to oil spills resulting from the eminent failure.
- Taken from Time Magazine, March 26, 2001
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