California’s Central Coast Still Feels Effects 5 Years After Quake

The deadly magnitude-6.6 San Simeon earthquake five years ago is still rocking the Central Coast economy.

The quake struck the morning of Dec. 22, 2003, causing more than $200 million in damage.

Many downtown areas in the hard-hit cities of Paso Robles and Atascadero have been rebuilt, including the Acorn Building in downtown Paso Robles where two women died while fleeing the then-unreinforced building.

Atascadero’s City Hall still stands but is off-limits behind chain-link fencing as the city lobbies the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the millions more needed for its repair.

Mission San Miguel is still unusable, although retrofitting repairs began last week.

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Information from: The Tribune, http://www.sanluisobispo.com