Sixty years ago, in the middle of the night on March 27, 1964, Port Alberni was hit with a tidal wave害羞草研究所攚hat we now call a tsunami. It was Good Friday, and most people were asleep.
The wave害羞草研究所攁ctually a series of three waves害羞草研究所攚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.
害羞草研究所淲e arrived to see the first wave hit by the pulp mill,害羞草研究所� Monrufet recalls.
害羞草研究所淲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.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所攁 telephone operator害羞草研究所攍ived in a home on Golden Street. Lyle remembers his mother was working the night shift on March 27.
害羞草研究所淪he called and said there害羞草研究所檚 going to be a tidal wave, and could we go to her house to get her dogs害羞草研究所e got to the bottom of Kitsuksis Road and there was water. The water was already up to Mary Street and we weren害羞草研究所檛 able to get to Golden Street,害羞草研究所� he related.
He had to backtrack to Johnston Road. 害羞草研究所淲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害羞草研究所檚 house.害羞草研究所� When he finally made it the next day, he learned the dogs had spent their time on the couch and weren害羞草研究所檛 affected by the six to eight inches of floodwater that had entered her home.
Lyle said once the waves receded 害羞草研究所渢here was a horrible stink. It was the black mud that came up from the bottom of the canal.害羞草研究所�
Loretta Parkinson was working in Ward害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所攆rom Seattle, Washington.
She was busy inside, where there are no windows.
害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 hear any alarms,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎s soon as I got down to the office I got a phone call.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所攈er home was well out of the inundation zone.
She said the commercial laundry was busy for weeks after the event. 害羞草研究所淲e got all the linens from the hotels in the low-lying areas,害羞草研究所� she said. The Greenwood (where Ocean害羞草研究所arina is now), the Barclay Hotel, which was previously located at the bottom of Redford Street, the Somass Motel, Riverside Auto Court 害羞草研究所� they were all affected by flooding.
Unlike Parkinson, Bob Cole and some of his friends害羞草研究所攁ll teenagers at the time害羞草研究所攕aw the first wave hit. 害羞草研究所淲e saw the first swell at the bottom of Argyle Street,害羞草研究所� Cole recalled. They were driving in Cole害羞草研究所檚 father害羞草研究所檚 car toward River Road.
He remembers the 害羞草研究所渋n-between害羞草研究所� time, before a tidal wave hits, when water is drawn away from shore.
害羞草研究所淭he Somass River went almost dry,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hen we saw sparks from the pulp mill害羞草研究所� as the water surged. 害羞草研究所淭he next thing we see is a white pickup truck tumbling up the river.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所檛 built up as it is today).
He turned right onto Josephine Street, he said, but he wasn害羞草研究所檛 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.
害羞草研究所淚 called home after midnight害羞草研究所 said the clutch went and there害羞草研究所檚 been a tidal wave,害羞草研究所� he recalled. 害羞草研究所淒ad said 害羞草研究所榶ou害羞草研究所檝e told some tales, but this one takes the cake.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
Cole said witnessing the tsunami first hand 害羞草研究所渋s something that sticks in my mind.害羞草研究所�
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