Wells residents still shaking from quake

By Mary Manning

Friday, Feb. 22, 2008 | 5:05 p.m.

More than a day after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake rumbled in Wells, 430 miles north of Las Vegas, Al Case still has not returned to repair his home.

Case, the Nevada Division of Forestry fire captain in Wells, awoke to find heavy damage to his house. He patched the worst leaks, shut off the propane tank and responded downtown with Elko County Sheriff's Department deputies.

The Forestry Division's supervisor, Jim Hunt, saw a one-inch crack split the middle of his home, stepped over panels fallen off walls and noticed that one end of his house had shifted a couple inches. He, too, joined emergency responders to check 45 to 50 senior citizens scattered in northeastern Nevada after the quake.

Twenty buildings, most of them in the railroad town's historical district, were destroyed and 700 residences were damaged in Thursday's quake and its aftermath.

As dozens of aftershocks rattled the area, state forester Pete Anderson says that he's "very proud of what they did."

In addition to shoveling snow and cutting wood for the senior citizens on a winter day, the forestry employees ensured their wellbeing.

"Obviously, they are shaken up quite a bit," Anderson said on his cell phone late today. Dishes and collectibles cherished over a liftime are gone. "Barring any more large quakes, we'll be fine," Anderson said.

Beyond cuts and bruises, there were no major injuries among the seniors, Anderson said.

Gov. Jim Gibbons declared a state of emergency in Wells and Elko County earlier today. The state is seeking a federal disaster declaration.

"The earthquake caused considerable damage in the city of wells and surrounding areas," Gibbons said. "Therefore, I have taken appropriate steps to officially declare a state of emergency for the affected areas and am finalizing details to request a presidential disaster declaration."