TV REVIEW : ‘Quake’ Aims to Shake Us Up

“Quake of ‘89--the Final Warning,” one of a slew of programs on KCET Channel 28 tonightdevoted to our ever-present reminders of Mother Nature’s dominance, is a sobering look at the damage done by a “moderate earthquake” 60 miles away from “America’s most beautiful city.”

This BBC production, airing at 8 p.m., examines the Oct. 17, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake, a 7.1 temblor that rocked the Bay Area from Santa Cruz to San Francisco, killing 63 people, injuring more than 3,700, and doing $7 billion in damage--all in just 15 seconds.

“Quake” is bleak material; nevertheless, much of it is riveting. Writer-producer Michael Barnes skillfully mixes dynamic footage--ranging from home videos to TV news--to graphically bang home the enormity of the event. He successfully captures the chaos and the terror of the quake’s aftermath: the collapsed freeways and bridges, the huge Marina District fire, the roads ripped asunder.

More important, he shifts gears and builds a solid case that the lessons of the past were ignored in 1989--and that the lessons of ’89 are being ignored today. There are a slew of experts testifying that engineering and scientific reports are simply filed away and forgotten; retrofitting existing structures to meet safety standards goes by the wayside. The two big reasons: lack of money and the human tendency to emulate ostriches and bury our heads in the sand.

In this case, what we don’t know will hurt us; what we ignore may kill us. “Quake of ‘89--the Final Warning” should be required viewing for all Californians.