Washington state officials say the damage done by a major earthquake that struck 35 miles south of Seattle has caused "billions" in damages but because the quake was "deep," the potential carnage was limited in scope.
The 6.8 magnitude shaker -- which hit Wednesday morning around 11:00 a.m. Pacific and was felt as far away as Salt Lake City, Utah -- was the first major earthquake to strike the Puget Sound area in 50 years, area seismologists at the University of Seattle said.
Sources on the scene told WorldNetDaily that several older buildings in downtown Seattle were damaged and that overall, damage was much worse than initially reported after the event.
The quake lasted about 30 seconds, according to witnesses, and caused extensive traffic congestion for hours afterwards due to highway and road damage and widespread power loss.
However, had the quake been more shallow -- seismologists say it struck at a depth of about 30-35 miles -- much more damage would have been likely.
Also, area meteorologists said that because rainfall locally has measured only about 45 percent of normal levels for this time of year, mudslides and other natural disasters associated with major quakes were avoided.
In the hours after the temblor, Gov. Gary Locke declared a state of emergency in Washington, and officials said about 30 people were reported injured -- some seriously.
"Thank goodness the damage is primarily structural. It could run into the billions of dollars, quite frankly," Locke said. "A lot of overpasses and roads ... have sunk."
Witnesses mostly reported building damage in the form of cracks in walls, floors and concrete. Homeowners and business people said items tumbled from shelves and cabinets, and pictures fell from walls.
"It's going to be a mess for probably two or three more days," one said.
Officials at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport briefly closed the facility to inspect for damage following the quake. Other witnesses said the Seattle-based Boeing Corp. also shut down for a few hours, not allowing employees or visitors to enter.
Witnesses told WorldNetDaily that as of late last evening, no aftershocks had been measured or felt -- probably due, they said, to the extreme depth of the quake. Local seismologists said aftershocks were not likely but could occur.
Reports said Seattle's historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, site of Mardi Gras riots this week, suffered some of the heaviest damage.