While Jeff Feinblatt, Dean Jacobberger and Wes Waldron were in San Francisco last week ripping through the competition at the National American Cup tournament, there was a different kind of tearing going on through southern California.

A feeling of panic accompanied rolling and rumbling as an earthquake shook the ground of Los Angeles and surrounding communities Monday morning just before daybreak.

"My problem was that my mother of 85-years old lives nearby," Edward Jacobberger, Dean's father, said. "That was my main concern."

So instead of seeing the final day of competition, the parents of Feinblatt, Jacobberger and Waldron, all who live within five minutes of the epicenter, headed south.

"That was kind of scary," said Mr. Jacobberger of his seven-hour car ride home. "We were coming out of the northern area where lights are on, and when we came over a hill into the San Fernando Valley, it was completely dark."

When the darkness finally lifted, the residents of the West Hills and Canoga Park were able to witness what Mother Nature had left.

"We have some structual damage -- very, very large cracks," said Cathy Waldron, Wes's mother. "It was trashed on the inside."

Another house that couldn't escape the wrath of nature was the Jacobbergers'. With water-soaked hallways, overturned furniture and kitchen dishes thrown around, the Jacobbergers had little to return to.

"The rear wall's gone and parts of the side wall's gone," said the elder Jacobberger, insisting it could've been worse. "It's not that bad."

What faces the victims of the earthquake in the upcoming months is bad, though. Most houses were left with no electricity, gas or tap water.

"Right at the moment, everybody is cleaning up the mess in their houses," Mrs. Waldron said. "We are without water and we have no gas, and the power just came on Tuesday."

As Mr. Jacobberger pointed out, it depends on where people live if they have utilities or not.

"That Monday night in our area, the electricity came on, but there are still people without light and gas."

The only things people could really count on were items they had stored away. Mrs. Waldron explained that most people are prepared for emergencies such as this.

But even that may not be enough. As of last night, there were still aftershocks recorded, ranging up to 5.5 on the Richter scale, and more are expected as communities prepare to return to their normal lives again.

"For the next month or so, we'll be living very slowly," Mrs. Waldron said. "It will take several years to fix the house."

The only thing that doesn't need much fixing is the fencing the freshman trio turned in at the NAC. All three turned in stellar performances that wouldn't have been overlooked on previous weekends.

Feinblatt topped the list with a third-place finish while Waldron placed eighth and Jacobberger ended in the top 16.

Despite the situation, all three plan on staying in Happy Valley to complete their fencing duties.

"I would really like to go home, but I don't think I'm really in a position to," Waldron said.