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