
Emergency crews briefly evacuated and secured the Sheraton Hotel and Marina on Harbor Island to inspect for possible quake damage after a magnitude-7.2 temblor rocked Baja California and the San Diego area Easter Sunday. According to fire officials, crews were initially sent to the Sheraton because of a continuously ringing alarm. Firefighters entered the hotel and subsequently noticed cracks in the floors — a situation deemed not serious by city engineers, according to Maurice Luque with the city’s Fire-Rescue Department. Luque said some 700 rooms were inspected one-by-one and cleared after it was determined no one had been trapped. However, the floors between the seventh and 12th levels were “red tagged” because hallway exit doors were sticking and out of alignment as a result of the quake, he said. The city’s structural engineer scoured the hotel for other potential weaknesses and eventually gave the “all-clear,” lifting the red-tag status Monday, according to Luque. Hotel officials reported “absolutely normal operations” Tuesday. Officials said no injuries were reported as a result of the powerful quake, which shattered windows at the San Diego Sports Arena and caused a minor water leak at Gate 33 of Lindbergh Field’s Terminal 2, among other problems. SeaWorld officials also reportedly shut down the park for less than an hour to conduct an inspection following the quake. No damage was reported. The temblor generated plenty of rattled nerves in the hours that followed as multiple aftershocks were recorded across the region and state.








