Sixty years ago, in the middle of the night on March 27, 1964, Port Alberni was hit with a tidal waveB次元官网网址攚hat we now call a tsunami. It was Good Friday, and most people were asleep.
The waveB次元官网网址攁ctually a series of three wavesB次元官网网址攚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.
B次元官网网址淲e arrived to see the first wave hit by the pulp mill,B次元官网网址� Monrufet recalls.
B次元官网网址淲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.B次元官网网址�
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 motherB次元官网网址攁 telephone operatorB次元官网网址攍ived in a home on Golden Street. Lyle remembers his mother was working the night shift on March 27.
B次元官网网址淪he called and said thereB次元官网网址檚 going to be a tidal wave, and could we go to her house to get her dogsB次元官网网址e got to the bottom of Kitsuksis Road and there was water. The water was already up to Mary Street and we werenB次元官网网址檛 able to get to Golden Street,B次元官网网址� he related.
He had to backtrack to Johnston Road. B次元官网网址淲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 motherB次元官网网址檚 house.B次元官网网址� When he finally made it the next day, he learned the dogs had spent their time on the couch and werenB次元官网网址檛 affected by the six to eight inches of floodwater that had entered her home.
Lyle said once the waves receded B次元官网网址渢here was a horrible stink. It was the black mud that came up from the bottom of the canal.B次元官网网址�
Loretta Parkinson was working in WardB次元官网网址檚 Cleaners at Second Avenue and Athol Street when the tsunami hit. She said the first she heard about the waves was from a phone callB次元官网网址攆rom Seattle, Washington.
She was busy inside, where there are no windows.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 hear any alarms,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎s soon as I got down to the office I got a phone call.B次元官网网址�
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 fineB次元官网网址攈er home was well out of the inundation zone.
She said the commercial laundry was busy for weeks after the event. B次元官网网址淲e got all the linens from the hotels in the low-lying areas,B次元官网网址� she said. The Greenwood (where OceanB次元官网网址arina is now), the Barclay Hotel, which was previously located at the bottom of Redford Street, the Somass Motel, Riverside Auto Court B次元官网网址� they were all affected by flooding.
Unlike Parkinson, Bob Cole and some of his friendsB次元官网网址攁ll teenagers at the timeB次元官网网址攕aw the first wave hit. B次元官网网址淲e saw the first swell at the bottom of Argyle Street,B次元官网网址� Cole recalled. They were driving in ColeB次元官网网址檚 fatherB次元官网网址檚 car toward River Road.
He remembers the B次元官网网址渋n-betweenB次元官网网址� time, before a tidal wave hits, when water is drawn away from shore.
B次元官网网址淭he Somass River went almost dry,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hen we saw sparks from the pulp millB次元官网网址� as the water surged. B次元官网网址淭he next thing we see is a white pickup truck tumbling up the river.B次元官网网址�
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 wasnB次元官网网址檛 built up as it is today).
He turned right onto Josephine Street, he said, but he wasnB次元官网网址檛 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.
B次元官网网址淚 called home after midnightB次元官网网址 said the clutch went and thereB次元官网网址檚 been a tidal wave,B次元官网网址� he recalled. B次元官网网址淒ad said B次元官网网址榶ouB次元官网网址檝e told some tales, but this one takes the cake.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Cole said witnessing the tsunami first hand B次元官网网址渋s something that sticks in my mind.B次元官网网址�
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