Sparta earthquake one year later

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Sparta, NC – It’s been nearly a year of long days and nights for 79-year-old Doug Blevins, watching the rebuilding and repair of the Foreign Wars Veterans Center after an earthquake shook the small town of Sparta last summer and caused damage. .

What you need to know

On August 9, an earthquake hit Sparta and damaged the VFW center and other properties

It took months and months to recover the devastation caused by the earthquake

The VFW Center in Sparta has since reopened

“I’ve been here every single day since we started in September before we finished,” Blevins said.

He is the former state commander of the Veterans of the Foreign Wars of Sparta. He was in the Navy and part of the Cuban Missile Crisis and deployed to the Mediterranean three times during his military service.

Blevins was one of the first to arrive at Sparta VFW after the commotion that summer day. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 struck just after 8 a.m. on August 9.

“The water pipes broke, the basements flooded and we started looking around at all the cracks in the walls,” Blevins said, recalling the devastation.

The building was one of several severely damaged by earthquakes. Cracks covered the outside and walls.

“This kitchen is completely destroyed, cupboards are away from the wall and dishes are destroyed,” Blevins said.

The cost of repairs amounted to 172 thousand dollars, and they built a building within a building, making the damaged external walls purely cosmetic.

They worked to preserve as many of the original pieces as possible while rebuilding them after the earthquake that shook the earth, causing cracks in the walls and pushing away dishes, furniture, and other objects.

They have worked hard to keep their museum intact, which is filled with items from local veterans, such as combat equipment, uniforms, and other items from the past.

The building is now open again.

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