LOS GATOS, Calif. – An early morning magnitude 4.6 earthquake on Thursday was a wake-up call for those in the area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The epicenter was near Boulder Creek and the U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was triggered by an un-mapped fault beneath the mountains. While it wasn’t produced by the San Andreas Fault, it did remind many of the infamous Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989 that was a result of that fault.
‘Here we go again’
“I was like, Oh boy, I hope this doesn’t get going. Please stop,” said Dan Melin.
“It’s like oh my God, here we go again. How long is this one going to be? Is it ramping up?” said Katie Dhuey.
Katie Dhuey and Dan Melin are talking about the earthquake early on Thursday. They own Affordable Treasures in Los Gatos. It’s a well-known store celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
Surveillance video caught their merchandise shaking.
“Nothing fell off the shelves here. A huge difference from the Loma Prieta quake, when things were all over the floor,” said Melin.
Melin showed us photos of what the store looked like after the earthquake in 1989. Back then, it was owned by Melin’s parents. Dan shot the pictures himself.
“I was at the store. So were my mom and two friends. It was scary. The first thing I thought was, is my mom OK? She was locked in the store by a shelving unit that had fallen over and blocked the door,” he said.
Affordable Treasures is one of many stores on Los Gatos Boulevard that has been around since the ’80s or even longer.
Predicting earthquakes isn’t science
Customers were also reminded of the big quake more than 30 years ago.
“It wakes people up. It makes them concerned, especially if they went through ’89, that something else is on the horizon, because it has been so long,” said a Los Gatos resident.
“Anything in terms of predicting earthquakes is not scientific. We do not have the ability to do that,” said San Diego State University Geology Professor Pat Abbott.
Abbott says the quake was near the San Andreas Fault. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey believe it was triggered by an unmapped fault below the mountains. Abbott says there was a lot of compression.
“That compression causes a lot of other things to squeeze and move. It was an upward thrusting movement. With that upward thrusting towards the surface, it is felt more strongly and widely,” said Abbott.
With no major damage, it was one of the best case scenarios for the small businesses on Los Gatos Blvd, that plan to be there for years to come.
“It’s great to see the older businesses survive and thrive. The community is a safe, warm welcoming place. People appreciate independent stores, which I appreciate. The love goes both ways,” said Melin.
