The Enormity of the Situation

Thirty-five years later, a Red Cross volunteer recalls his experience during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

October 17, 2024

by Jenny Arrieta

Red Cross volunteer photographer Larry Brazil remembers where he was during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, 35 years ago today. The 6.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Northern California, with the Bay Area and Central Coast bearing the brunt of the impact. The epicenter was approximately eight miles north-northeast of Santa Cruz and 50 miles from downtown San Francisco. The quake lasted 15 seconds and struck during the peak of evening rush hour. The resulting catastrophic damage and loss of life forever changed the landscape, infrastructure and people of the Golden State. Sixty-six people lost their lives, 2,400 were injured and more than 10,000 homes were left uninhabitable. Larry shares what that fateful day was like, and what happened next:

“October 17,1989 was going to be a special day. Little did I know how memorable that day would end up being. It was special because a friend and I had tickets to Game 3 of the World Series that evening. We got to the game early and had a little tailgate party. We were just getting ready to head into the game when all of a sudden, time seemed to stand still, but the earth surely wasn’t standing still! The parking lot was literally rolling in waves. Cars were swaying back and forth, up and down, with their tires almost coming off the ground. It seemed to last for a long time, but it was probably about 15 seconds. When the shaking stopped, there was a loud roar from inside the stadium. We didn’t yet know the extent of damage and thought that the game would proceed after a delay. While trying to get into the stadium, someone had a little TV and we saw that the Bay Bridge had collapsed. It really sunk in then.

The Bay Bridge was our way home, and we knew we were in for a long night. The only way back home to Pleasanton was to go all the way around the Bay as the other bridges were closed for damage inspection. It took 9 hours to get home at 3a.m. We were transfixed by the images we saw of the widespread devastation. That was our first glimpse into the enormity of the situation.

Bridge over water that has been damaged by an earthquake.

The aftermath of the Bay Bridge following the earthquake. Photo credit: U.S.G.S.

“The next few days were a blur; it was not business as usual. We were pretty much glued to the TV, watching the drama unfold on the Cypress Freeway collapse and Marina fires.”

I was a member of a professional photographers group, the Peninsula Advertising Photographers Association. The Red Cross had reached out to our group looking for photographers to document the recovery efforts. I and two other photographers volunteered; I spent the next couple of days photographing Red Cross recovery efforts, mostly in Santa Cruz county.

I was with them day and night; at night we went out to highway workers in the Santa Cruz Mountains on Highway 17 offering them coffee, snacks, and moral support. During the day I photographed the shelter at the county fairgrounds in Watsonville. I was able to document the many services the Red Cross provided as well as much of the physical damage to the earth and buildings. I was grateful that I was able to contribute in some small way to the recovery efforts.

It took another crisis time (the pandemic) for me to get involved again with the Red Cross. After being laid off due to COVID, I joined Blood Services team as a transportation specialist. I have delivered blood all over the greater Bay Area for the past four years. I have transitioned to doing some sheltering and logistics work in addition to my blood deliveries. I have recently joined the Red Cross communications team and look forward to once again providing the Red Cross with timely photos.”

Thank you for sharing your story and your service, Larry! To learn more about disaster preparedness, including earthquake preparedness, visit redcross.org/prepare.