Was in the Santa Cruz area at football practice in 1989. My knees were in my face. We were not able to go into our house for a week until it was determined safe. Us and all our neighbors camped in our front yards and had a huge block party. The community was left to fend for ourselves with no water and no power but everyone coming together. Grocery stores opening with no power letting in like 20 people at a time. It was probably the most a part of a community I ever felt in California. Hiking Nisene to see the epicenter was cool. Me and some other football players went around looking for people that could use overexcited football linemen teenager help. We moved so many trees/branches, and were feed so much BBQ steak (no power so everything in fridges was getting grilled up and shared).
So funny that you say this... my grandfather in Saratoga CA - he went "oh I forgot something" and ran back into the house and came out with a bar-full of things in his arms and served Gin-n-tonics to all the neighbors on their lawn just after the quake (my grandfather was a nuke eng that built nukes for GE at the time, but was a really funny norwegian punster... and he knew how to make everything a party)
