The earthquake, which came from 35 miles below underground, measured 6.8 on the Richter scale. Gov. Gary Locke says the damage is expected to run in the billions of dollars. A state of emergency has been declared.

Experts are saying that the area's drought may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Had the area been receiving its normal rainfall, mudslides would certainly have been more severe.

Two mudlides blocked the Cedar River in Renton, causing water levels to rise and a number of businesses and homes in the area to flood. Slides also have been the cause of a number of road closures in the area.

All airports in Puget Sound were closed almost immediately, including the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boeing Field. Windows in the control towers at Sea-Tac burst. That and interior damage required the towers to be evacuated.

The main event responsible for the continued closure of Sea-Tac, however, was the closure of the Olympic Pipeline, which provides fuel to the airport. It was closed pending inspection, as were the runways. Incoming flights were diverted to Portland and other cities.

As far as damages to buildings, a brick façade atop the SODO building, headquarters to Starbucks coffee, collapsed in the quake. In Olympia, the Capitol dome suffered a major crack, the Governor's Mansion was damaged, and just about every government building on campus has been closed for structural reasons pending further inspection today.

One of the hardest-hit buildings in downtown Seattle's Pioneer Square was the Fenix Underground, at Second Avenue and Jackson Street. It was undergoing renovation, and was largely gutted. A significant piece of the top and front of the building broke off in the quake. The building it believed to be a total loss.

A number of buildings in the Pioneer Square area were damaged. Rod Kauffman, executive vice president of the Seattle-King County Building Owners and Managers Assoc. tells GobeSt terra cotta fell off several buildings, tearing through awnings at the street level.

A 200-room downtown, low-income apartment building was evacuated as engineers inspect the extent of the structural damaged suffered by the older building. An unnamed apartment complex in the Eastside city of Kirkland sustained significant structural damage as well.

Harborview Medical Center, the region's trauma hospital, reported at least 26 patients with quake-related injuries, including five people in serious condition. The hospital itself sustained some damage, including broken pipes. The northeast section of the hospital was evacuated due to structural damage. At least three hospital employees were injured in the emergency room due to falling debris.

At Second and Main Streets in Seattle, Maisons Fine Furniture suffered damage to all four of its building's floors. Preliminary estimates peg the damage there at $200,000, some of which was to antique furniture and furnishings in the store. Damage reports continue to pour in as telephone lines allow intermittent connections.

Boeing, the region's major private employer, closed all of its Seattle-area factories until Thursday, though there were no reports of serious damage. Road infrastructure was also damaged throughout the region. Numerous bridges and highway on/off ramps are closed either for inspection or damage discovered. Sinkholes and buckled and cracked pavement is now commonplace throughout the Puget Sound.

Instant Insights /

Gov. Gary Locke Says Earthquake Damage to Run Into the Billions

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