Nisqually earthquake 2001: Previously unpublished photos

This picture, taken south of Safeco Field, shows the damage from the 6.8 magnitude Nisqually earthquake on Feb. 28, 2001.Don Marquis/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

P-I photographer Phil H. Webber was near the Magnolia Bartell Drugs when the 2001 Nisqually earthquake hit. He captured this image of frightened workers afterward. This frame was not previously published. Notes with the archived negatives does not list thier names, but the newspaper identified them as Emily Purcell, Roseann Stella and Laura Wray.Phil H. Webber/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

This is one of the P-I's Nisqually earthquake pictures that was published. The original caption read: Wayne VanDire cleans up broken glass in front of the Encore Restaurant Equipment on 1st Avenue South where he works. He's from L.A., been in Seattle 15 years, ands said "this is the worst earthquake I've been in." During the earthquake, a 900 pound grill moved from a wall into the middle of the store. (seattlepi.com file)P-I File

This was one of the published P-I photos taken after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, and the original caption read: Rick Wyatt co-owner of the Fenix Underground shares a hugs Mike Lagervall also a co-owner in front of the traven at the coner of 2nd and jackson in downtown Seattle. The build like others was damaged after todays 6.8 earthquake. Wyatt said that he has been told that the building is a total loss. but "be sure we will relocate and rebuild a stronger and better Fenix." Also with the owners are Pamela Moore and Dwayne Lagervall.Gilbert W. Arias/seattlepi.com file/SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER

Residents of Tacoma's historic Salmon Beach neighborhood evacuate with their belongings onto a boat after earthquake triggered landslides destroyed several waterfront houses. This specific frame from Feb. 28, 2001 was not previously published.Paul Joseph Brown/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

After the Nisqually earthquake shook Seattle on Feb. 28, 2001, photographer Phil H. Webber went to Colman dock and captured these images. They have been preserved and archived through a P-I donation to the Museum of History and Industry, but until now have not previously been published.Phil H. Webber/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

A previously unpublished frame from Feb. 28, 2001, showing damage in the Capitol Hill neighborhood after the Nisqually earthquake. Information preserved with the negatives does not give additional information about the picture, taken after the 6.8 magnitude quake.Meryl Schenker/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

The Alaskan Way Viaduct was what some people immediately thought of after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, which had a 6.8 magnitude. P-I photographer Meryl Schenker took this image the day of the quake, and it has not previously been published.Meryl Schenker/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

After the Nisqually earthquake hit the morning of Feb. 28, 2001, P-I photographer Phil H. Webber was sent to Colman Dock. These are some of the images he took that day, and they have not previously been published. They have been carefully preserved at the Museum of History and Industry, part of one of three P-I donations to the museum.Phil H. Webber/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

This was one of the published P-I photos taken after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, and the original caption read: Carol Nickold and Renee Behnke lookover the Sur La Table warehouse in South Seattle. A large water main broke inside the warehouse today and the warehouse was closed. Yesterday's earthquake also closed down the main warehouse a few blocks away. Renee is the owner of the Sur La Table and Carol works for Renee.Phil H. Webber/seattlepi.com file

This was one of the published P-I photos taken after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, and the original caption for this March 1 photo read: Kaveh Aminian check for cracks in the foundation of the Dong Vinh Restaurant Equipment warehouse in the Sodo disrtict. Aminian (L) and fellow inspector Will McDonald (R) are with the King County Dept. of Construction and Land Use and are inspecting build damaged in Wednesday's earthquake. In the center is Danny Hong.Gilbert Arias/seattlepi.com file/SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER

This was one of the published P-I photos taken after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, and the original caption for this March 1 picture read: At the Seattle City Library, Jon Tulchin helps other staffers clean up the mounds of books that fell during the earthquake. The Central Library is tentatively set to close on June 9, 2001 and reopen at it's temporary location at 800 Pike St. until a the new build is construted on the existing site.Gilbert Arias/seattlepi.com file/SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCER

This was one of the published P-I photos taken after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, and the original caption for the March 2 photo read: A King County Road Crew work on diverting a small stream so it no longer flows into Reva Chareoneau's home on Southeast Jones Place in Renton. Wednesday's earthquake shook loose a land slide that stopped just four feet from Chareoneau's home but destroyed the white house in the back ground owned by Paula and Robert VanDorssen (14804 S.E. Jones Pl.).Grant M. Haller/seattlepi.com file

This is one of the P-I's Nisqually earthquake pictures that was published. The original caption read: Carol Nickold and Renee Behnke lookover the Sur La Table warehouse in south Seattle, a large water main broke inside the warehouse today and the warehouse was closed. Yesterday's earthquake also closed down the main warehouse a few blocks away. Behnke is the owner of the Sur La Table and Nickold works for Behnke. (seattlepi.com file)P-I File

These pictures weren’t taken to show earthquake damage – P-I photographer Meryl Schenker snapped this frame to show the progress of what’s now Century Link Field. The previously unpublished photo was taken Feb. 28, 2001.Meryl Schenker/<a href="http://www.mohai.org/">MOHAI</a> <a href="http://www.mohai.org/research/photo-archive-search">Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection</a>/seattlepi.com file

If you were in Western Washington on Feb. 28, 2001, chances are you remember what you were doing that morning.

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At 10:54 a.m., there was a magnitude 6.8 earthquake centered about 11 miles from Olympia. It was felt as far south as Oregon, as far north as British Columbia. Roughly 400 people were injured, though no one died from falling debris.

Hard to believe it was 12 years ago this week.

The most vivid images from Seattle came from the Fenix Underground at Second Avenue South and South Jackson Street, or the damaged Starbucks headquarters in Sodo. Then-NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw flew here to do his broadcast from Seattle, and ate at nearby Lemieux's restaurant, which also suffered damage from the quake.

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The Seattle Post-Intelligencer sent more than a half dozen photographers out that morning. Roughly two dozen staff photos were published that week and in years that followed. But what happened to the hundreds of unpublished photos?

Those negatives are now preserved at the Museum of History and Industry, which has archived millions of P-I negatives after three major donations, including the first in 1976 and another shortly after the Nisqually earthquake in 2001.

We worked with our partners at MOHAI to create this collection of Nisqually earthquake photos that have sat in negatives sleeves for the past 12 years. The roughly 20 photos that were published are also included in the set.

Want to learn more about the quake? Read this article about the Seattle radio hosts that were on the air when it happened. Author Feliks Banel also has video recaps with audio from those programs. Nisqually earthquake news footage from our partners at KOMO/4 can be found here.

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Click here to learn more about the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection at MOHAI, and follow this link to see previous historic Seattle photo galleries.

Casey McNerthney can be reached at 206-448-8220 or at caseymcnerthney@seattlepi.com. Follow Casey on Twitter at twitter.com/mcnerthney.