Sixty years ago, in the middle of the night on March 27, 1964, Port Alberni was hit with a tidal wave香蕉视频直播攚hat we now call a tsunami. It was Good Friday, and most people were asleep.
The wave香蕉视频直播攁ctually a series of three waves香蕉视频直播攚ere a result of an earthquake off the coast of Alaska that measured 8.5 on the Richter scale.
The water funneled up the Alberni Inlet from the west coast, gathering speed as the inlet or canal narrowed and spilling over the shoreline.
The tsunami remains a pivotal event in the history of the Alberni Valley, even though the number of people who experienced it are dwindling.
Geo Monrufet was 15 years old in 1964 and his father owned the famed MV Lady Rose passenger and cargo vessel. His father received word that a tidal wave was on its way, so he and Geo drove from Sproat Lake to the city.
香蕉视频直播淲e arrived to see the first wave hit by the pulp mill,香蕉视频直播� Monrufet recalls.
香蕉视频直播淲e took the high ground to be able to get down to the Lady Rose dock. It had broken loose except for one rope; we were able to jump on board and Dad started the engine.香蕉视频直播�
Geo worked in the engine room while his father was in the wheel room, maneuvering the vessel into the harbour to ride the rest of the waves. Monrufet still chokes up when he remembers the experience.
Monrufet is part of the Port Alberni Maritime Heritage Society that has planned a special event on March 27 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Port Alberni tsunami. He and others will be sharing their stories and encouraging others to come and share theirs as well.
Michael Lyle was 14 years old in March 1964 and living with his aunt on Kitsuksis Road while his mother香蕉视频直播攁 telephone operator香蕉视频直播攍ived in a home on Golden Street. Lyle remembers his mother was working the night shift on March 27.
香蕉视频直播淪he called and said there香蕉视频直播檚 going to be a tidal wave, and could we go to her house to get her dogs香蕉视频直播e got to the bottom of Kitsuksis Road and there was water. The water was already up to Mary Street and we weren香蕉视频直播檛 able to get to Golden Street,香蕉视频直播� he related.
He had to backtrack to Johnston Road. 香蕉视频直播淲e could see houses and garages and stuff going down the river. There were boats up on the road. It was quite a while before we could get to my mother香蕉视频直播檚 house.香蕉视频直播� When he finally made it the next day, he learned the dogs had spent their time on the couch and weren香蕉视频直播檛 affected by the six to eight inches of floodwater that had entered her home.
Lyle said once the waves receded 香蕉视频直播渢here was a horrible stink. It was the black mud that came up from the bottom of the canal.香蕉视频直播�
Loretta Parkinson was working in Ward香蕉视频直播檚 Cleaners at Second Avenue and Athol Street when the tsunami hit. She said the first she heard about the waves was from a phone call香蕉视频直播攆rom Seattle, Washington.
She was busy inside, where there are no windows.
香蕉视频直播淚 didn香蕉视频直播檛 hear any alarms,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淎s soon as I got down to the office I got a phone call.香蕉视频直播�
It was relatives from Seattle frantically asking if she was OK: they had heard about the earthquake in Alaska and the tidal waves that hit Port Alberni. It took a few minutes to calm them down and reassure them that she was fine香蕉视频直播攈er home was well out of the inundation zone.
She said the commercial laundry was busy for weeks after the event. 香蕉视频直播淲e got all the linens from the hotels in the low-lying areas,香蕉视频直播� she said. The Greenwood (where Ocean香蕉视频直播arina is now), the Barclay Hotel, which was previously located at the bottom of Redford Street, the Somass Motel, Riverside Auto Court 香蕉视频直播� they were all affected by flooding.
Unlike Parkinson, Bob Cole and some of his friends香蕉视频直播攁ll teenagers at the time香蕉视频直播攕aw the first wave hit. 香蕉视频直播淲e saw the first swell at the bottom of Argyle Street,香蕉视频直播� Cole recalled. They were driving in Cole香蕉视频直播檚 father香蕉视频直播檚 car toward River Road.
He remembers the 香蕉视频直播渋n-between香蕉视频直播� time, before a tidal wave hits, when water is drawn away from shore.
香蕉视频直播淭he Somass River went almost dry,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hen we saw sparks from the pulp mill香蕉视频直播� as the water surged. 香蕉视频直播淭he next thing we see is a white pickup truck tumbling up the river.香蕉视频直播�
He said he could hear crunching and rumbling as the water surged.
He was driving on River Road when the water reached the road (it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 built up as it is today).
He turned right onto Josephine Street, he said, but he wasn香蕉视频直播檛 able to outrun the water even with the group pushing the car. He remembers seeing people fleeing their homes with boxes in their arms, and still regrets not stopping to help them.
香蕉视频直播淚 called home after midnight香蕉视频直播 said the clutch went and there香蕉视频直播檚 been a tidal wave,香蕉视频直播� he recalled. 香蕉视频直播淒ad said 香蕉视频直播榶ou香蕉视频直播檝e told some tales, but this one takes the cake.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
Cole said witnessing the tsunami first hand 香蕉视频直播渋s something that sticks in my mind.香蕉视频直播�
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