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Word of Nevada's earthquake brings back memories for one Mackay native who lived through the largest earthquake ever recorded in Idaho.
Gene Gabert, who was the water master for the Lost River Valley in October 1983, was at the gate house of the Mackay Reservoir checking on the dam.
” I got to the top and noticed the rocks coming down close to me,” said Gabert.
Just as he was climbing the ladder to leave, the hills started sliding all around him.
“I looked up and a big rock was coming off the top of the mountain. I could see it bouncing. I went to the bottom of the ladder and rocks landed at the top of the ladder, and then it was over in about a minute,” said Gabert.
Within that minute, the Lost River Valley changed forever.
“I went back to town and things were a mess,” he said.
The town of Mackay was in shambles, bricks had crumbled off the sides of buildings, city hall and several schools were destroyed.
One woman suffered a leg injury after bricks came crashing down on her car.
Sink holes covered the ground and water bubbled up from previously non existent springs.
The ground was shattered by the quake, creating a permanent rift at the base of Mt. Borah.
“I thought about it a lot, it still bothers me right now looking at this book,” said Connie Gabert.
Connie says Gene could have easily been killed that day.
“I feel the Lord saved him for me,” she said.
The Gaberts have a bit of advice from Idaho for those in Nevada.
“If you're riding out an earthquake, dig in your spurs and hang on,” they said.
The Borah Peak Quake caused an estimated $12.5 million in damage in the Challis-Mackay area. Within the region most affected by the quake, 11 commercial buildings and 39 private houses sustained major damage, and 200 houses sustained minor to moderate damage.

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