Windows of the control tower at Sea-Tac Airport blew out when the quake hit, shutting down the airport. The temblor blew out control tower windows, knocked out its power and damaged three of the tower's four major support pillars. And other flights still had to be diverted to Portland, Salt Lake City and Boise. Also at the airport, falling masonry required temporary closure of a passenger drop-off driveway, and water damage closed the north satellite terminal, which serves mainly United Airlines flights. St. Laurent urged travelers to check with their airlines before flying today.
Normal service is several days away.
Meanwhile, it's unclear when highways and bridges will return to normal. Yesterday's commuting was anything but normal. Rush hour came hours early as anxious workers tried to scurry home in the middle of the day, clogging traffic arteries. An Interstate 5 trip from Seattle to Tacoma, for example, took two hours. In Bellevue, midday traffic trying to enter Interstate 90 was at a standstill.