Going back to 1990 when Shropshire was rocked by the biggest earthquake in Britain in 100 years

An anxious crowd gathers at Shrewsbury railway station after the 1990 earthquake

Back in March 1990, Shropshire faced one of the biggest trials to rock Britain for 100 years.

Centered between Knighton and Newtown, along the Teme River, experts originally estimated it to be 6.3 on the Richter scale but later lowered it to 5.2.

This was the same level as the last earthquake that hit Shropshire in July 1984 – just three months after an earlier tremor measuring 3.4 on the Richter scale.

The epicenter of the 1984 earthquake was off the Welsh seaside resort of Portmadoc and as far as Shropshire was concerned, while buildings shook, there were few reports of structural damage.

But the effects of the 1990s tremors were more serious and more widespread.

Firefighters make a damaged chimney safe in Shrewsbury in 1990

The entire county, especially Shrewsbury, was seriously affected. Entire buildings shook, construction fell into the streets, and part of the city was closed.

Many public buildings have been evacuated, either at the time or amid warnings of subsequent shocks.

Emergency services were inundated with phone calls from anxious members of the public, who also had to respond to automatic shootings and shockwave burglary alarms.

The main earthquake lasted around 2.30pm for at least five seconds.

craving pic. Shrewsbury. Storm damage in Shrewsbury in February 1990. This is a print in the Shropshire Star Photo Archive and the caption on the back reads: “One of Shrewsbury’s gardens looked like it had been hit by an earthquake. Two garden sheds in Mrs. Pat Melsom’s home, off Stonehurst Road, were uprooted when 90 feet of Scots Pine The print is copyright Shropshire Star and the photographer is “Collen” i.e. Coleen Bennett. The date on the back of the print is 26.29.90 i.e. February 26, 1990, the date of publication. Transmitted with a number of stories about storms that hit the British Isles “At least nine people died today as storms swept 80 miles per hour across the British Isles.” Also written on the back is SHCH so it is likely that it was published in the Shrewsbury Chronicle. Library code: Shrewsbury Nostalgia 2021..

Dr Peter Styles, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Earth Sciences, said this was an indication of an earthquake of “large scale”.

It was felt from London to Lancashire and across most of Wales.

Dr Malcolm Howells, of the British Geological Survey, said the quake covered an area similar to that of six years ago which measured 5 on the Richter scale. He said his office in Aberystwyth was shaking.

Scientists originally identified the focal point of the earthquake as Nottingham, but it was later confirmed somewhere between Knighton and Newtown.

A car in Castlefields, Shrewsbury, damaged by a chimney falling in the 1990 earthquake

Miss Anne Montgomery, Director of the University’s Department of Geology, said: “It could be an explosion or an earthquake. We are studying our seismometer at the moment and are trying to contact the British Geological Survey at Keeworth in Nottingham to confirm.”

Two streets in Shrewsbury have been closed, one due to a gas leak and the other due to falling tiles and slate.

A chimney in the city’s historic railway station, built in 1848, has also lost one of its chimneys.

Thousands of frightened shoppers and office workers, some in tears, took to the streets.

XXXX Nostalgia pic. Shrewsbury. Shrewsbury Earthquake April 1990. Earthquakes. Earthquakes. Earthquake. Library code: Shrewsbury nostalgia 2001a Shrewsbury earthquake, April 1990.

Police cordoned off most of the city center, even directing cars to the pedestrianized Pride Hill, fearing that the shaking could cause buildings to fall off the already weak buildings.

They called the city’s 6-foot-7-inch tall, Martin Wood, who used his formidable voice to warn of dangers and advise on public transportation.

Experts from West Midlands Gas scoured the city with advanced equipment, looking for leaks, while hundreds of people briefly lost power.

One of the worst accidents was when a chimney collapsed on the banks of the river, a three-story house in Victoria Street, Castlefields, the home of 83-year-old Bessie Roberts.

Her chimney fell on the roof of the house next door and smashed Marina’s windshield on the street outside.

Mrs. Roberts, a widowed and widowed grandmother, said: “I was sitting by my fire, reading the newspaper, when I heard this horrible noise. The TV shook, and debris fell on the fireplace and I was so frightened I could not speak.” “

In the downtown Dogpole, another chimney has been removed in the offices of real estate agents Davies, Brown, and Jennings.

The chimney, about 100 years old, came out of the side of a building and curved precariously over the wood-framed main portion of the office, which dates from the 1600s.

“The tremor felt like a big truck was going on the road outside and shook everything to bits,” said John Butler, partner for Davis, Brown and Jennings.

Another chimney and roof tile shattered on Butchers Row, as debris smashed the rear window of a Ford Escort parked below.

Charles Darwin’s grand new shopping mall was evacuated shortly after the earthquake, which caused plaster to vibrate from walls and displays to fly. Shoppers fled to the street and several women cried.

Mandy Hart, of Laura Ashley Shop, said: ‘I really thought the floor was going to split. The whole building shook and we had to keep our balance like we were on a train.’

Miss Helen Mumford, serving in the flower booth upstairs, said the center was silent for a few moments before everyone rushed in.

Staff at the Great American Drug Store evacuated the store’s nursery first before leaving the center. ‘Displays fell and things fell off the shelves when the building started shaking,’ said Miss Jane Stokes’ assistant.

Wood, the city herald, who was in the music hall when the quake struck, said: “I looked out the windows and saw the splendid parapets on top of the old market hall swaying.”

Another problem area was Shoplatch where the old facades of the row of buildings including the Royal Indian Tandoori Restaurant and the National and Regional Building Society were feared to be unsafe.

Shrewsbury railway station was evacuated for an hour, as a result of which train services were delayed.

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