Earthquakes caught on Television

Various newscasters on air in Los Angeles when earthquakes hit in the 1980's

[@TheVinylSpinnah]

I was 9. I lived in Norwalk at the time and I remember that day vividly, even 23 years later. I had just got to school and if we got there before 7:50 we were to stay in the cafetorium (for those who don't know, cafeteria and auditorium). I felt the damn thing coming. There was a slight gentle movement and then a huge jolt. One of the scariest moments of my life. Calchick, I second your comment. He and Nance got a lot of flack for being human. You can see they were both scared to death.

[@420BulletSponge]

"Everybody under the desk". That's gotta be one big-ass desk don't you think?

[@allisoncorona8162]

After the main shock was over, my mother and I were looking out the window, didn't see any real damage, but I remember seeing a woman walking down the street and stopped and started going through her purse when a strong Aftershock hit, and then she turned around and went back the other way. We never knew if she was going back because of the aftershocks or because she had forgotten something!!

[@Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

The Whittier Quake.. The first evidence of the Puente Hills fault that goes well through puente hills all the way pretty much to Downtown LA

[@TheRenard10]

What a scary way to open October that year!

[@calchick82]

Poor Kent Shocknek...he always got so much flak for doing what he did during that earthquake, but he(and weathercaster at the time Christopher Nance)were doing what they felt they needed to do and they were being real. Shocknek was accused of scaring viewers because he was supposed to be presenting a calm demeanor, but going under the desk was the right thing to do, and it reminded viewers that during a quake, getting under a desk("duck and cover") or something similar was what one needed to do.

[@lamarr912]

At least he said “ I apologize for the theatrics.” I would’ve pissed myself.

[@KaliBoyinPDX]

I was 9 when this earthquake happened. We lived in Gardena at that time and we were walking to school when all the power lines started sparking and everyone running haha

[@Tornado1994]

I was 4. Living in Rohnert Park, a suburb of Santa Rosa. My stepdad experienced his first tremor during June '86 while at the Alameda port. My first came on November 15,1988 while on a Field trip to San Rafael.

[@MonsterMidi]

our station had that exact same news set for forever! I miss that news set!

[@amazinglove18]

Was this coverage of the Whittier/Narrows Earthquake?

[@IKK420]

I was in that. Wild seeing so many houses off their foundations.

[@stevensiferd7104]

I've done what the first guy did: "Hmm. An earthquake. Anything loose above me?" I look up. "Nope! Everything looks secure. Might as well stay right here."

[@Nickanator58]

I have lived in LA my whole life and I've been through many earthquakes and for some reason I never feel them Also Ive slept through a couple also

[@emiliobruh7485]

well you probably felt one this time

[@pepperjackcheese1]

There's an earthquake in Los Angeles

[@mikey90504]

Keep legs crossed for added stability?

[@metafis2490]

Why does it seem comical when they get under the desk?..its standard procedure, in potentially a dangerous situation, but always seems funny.

[@valdenv]

That sense of "yes, he did the absolute right thing, but it's still funny" stuck with most people in LA for years after. That anchor, Kent Shocknek, was referred to as "Kent Aftershocknek" for years and even Channel 4 itself would pick on him a bit in their promos, having other anchors talking to the desk, implying that he was hiding underneath.

[@celinac4535]

It makes sense to me if you have anything above you that could fall on you. Including portions of the dwelling ceiling. And in newsrooms they generally have large lights hanging above. However, I have to laugh when people hide under a desk in bomb drills! I can’t see how that will help in anyway lol

[@seattlesix6]

Yeah, people called him "Kent AFTERshocknek" ... Mostly idiots who don't realize all of the HEAVY lighting/rigging equipment that is basically over the anchors' heads that could've easily come crashing down on them ...

[@szqsk8]

Kent Shocknek and that other guy found themselves special little hiding place

[@Ninety7Till]

hahaha 0:44 is funny

[@adoRebelstyle]

If this is the 87 quake I remember where I was. I was 7 and I was home getting ready to leave for school. My mom babysat kids during the day so one of the children had already been dropped off and was in a highchair eating. When the quake hit she was just laughing and playing and I remember my mom grabbing her and telling us to get in the doorway. I don't remember if we still went to school that day. I think that was the first major one that I remember but I do remember having a lot of them in the 80's and all through my childhood.

[@rjsmth]

Oh, I think were having an earthquake..Well, duh!