Nearly all damaged structures in Vallejo repaired after Napa quake
VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- During the Napa Earthquake, Napa wasn't the only city that suffered significant damage this time last year; parts of Vallejo were also hit hard.
While all eyes were on Napa the morning of the quake, the people of Vallejo were experiencing their own emergency, especially in a downtown lined with century-old buildings.
"It just made a horrific noise and it felt like someone lifted up my house and slammed it back down. And I never saw my husband move so fast," Vallejo resident Lori Nelson said.
PHOTOS: One year after South Napa Quake
On Mare Island, many of the old mansions on Captain's Row coughed up their brick chimneys, a vacant department store on Georgia Street had part of its roof collapse on the floors below, and on Tennessee Street there was a row of stores that had their glass shattered.
"It was a long tumbler, rumbler..." Pastor Al Marks from the First Baptist Church of Vallejo said.
Two historic churches had significant damage. One of them, the First Baptist Church, was red-tagged but not until after a full-day of Sunday services were held inside.
"It wasn't until Monday morning that we had a chance to look a little bit deeper and we saw that the parapet on top of the bell tower had actually separated one side from the other," Pastor Marks.
In all, there were more than 40 structures damaged, but recovery came quickly to Vallejo and with a few exceptions, is nearly complete.
"We've recovered well; we've even recovered about 85 percent of the clams that we've made to FEMA for our response costs," Vallejo city manager Daniel Keen said.
Vallejo not only survived the Napa quake, city leaders learned from it and they say will be better prepared next time.
If you have pictures or video of the recovery you've seen over the past year in Napa or Vallejo... We'd love to see it. You can share it with us by posting on social media using #abc7now
Click here for details on the one-year anniversary, and click here for full coverage on the South Napa Earthquake.
