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Seattle Rocks
“We were very lucky. We didn’t sustain any damages to the facility,” Tacoma Dome Director Mike Combs told Pollstar. About 2,500 people were in the building for a high school championship basketball game when the quake struck at 10:54 a.m.
“Obviously, the fans were concerned, but we have an emergency procedure set up. Our staff immediately went into emergency mode,” he said.
“The game was interrupted for eight to 10 minutes, but there was no structural damage and no injuries,” he said. Cheney Stadium in Tacoma was also damage-free, Combs added.
At the Seattle Center, there was limited damage to the Opera House’s outside colonnade, “which is basically a cover for the entrance,” venue spokesperson Perry Cooper told Pollstar. “It’s fenced off and we’ll be looking at it today.”
There was no damage to Key Arena. However, a Disney on Ice performance scheduled for the day the quake hit, was canceled “basically because the governor and mayor encouraged people to stay home for safety reasons,” he said. It was expected to be back on schedule the night after the earthquake.
“There were no injuries and the interior of the Opera House is OK. All we’ve seen are some minor things like cracks on walkways,” Cooper said, adding no performances will be canceled.
Calls to the Fenix Underground in the historic Pioneer Square area of Seattle were not immediately returned but it was obvious from the pictures that the club will need considerable work before reopening.
Pioneer Square also made headlines the day before the earthquake, when rioting, arrests, injuries and death marred Mardi Gras celebrations. One man died after suffering brain injuries, 71 were injured and 21 landed in jail.
“I was sickened by what I saw several hours ago in Pioneer Square,” Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske told Seattle Times after the February 27 festivities went awry. Smashed windows, overturned cars, arson attempts and a force of 350 police officers, some of whom reportedly did nothing to stop the brawls or help the victims, were part of the scene.
It was after midnight when a block between First and Second avenues became a lawless zone, the Times said. The Fenix is located on Second Avenue. Preliminary Mardi Gras-related damages to Pioneer Square were estimated at more than $800,000. And that was before the quake, which is estimated to have caused $2 billion in damages statewide.