Just a quick update to alert family and friends that we are safe and sound after last night's earthquake. It was one of the most surreal and frightening experiences we've ever had, and suffice it to say we expected to come to Santiago, Chile to learn Spanish, not to learn what it's like to experience a 7+ Richter magnitude earthquake at 3:30 in the morning.
A few words about the city of Santiago and how it weathered the quake. In our neighborhood of Providencia, there is little to no apparent damage to any of the buildings. The buildings and the city in general are made very well, and in our homestay host's home--other than a lot of broken plates and dishware (and the somewhat creepy fact that both the stove and refrigerator came unmoored and moved 2-3 feet across the kitchen floor)--there is surprisingly little damage.
But during the worst of the quake, we had no idea what to do. It was nearly impossible to stand up without holding onto something, and the main quake seemed to go on forever, accompanied by the sound of things falling and glass breaking throughout our homestay host's home.
Now, some 8 hours after the initial main tremor, there are still periodic aftershocks, a few of them disconcertingly strong. What's more disconcerting is how the ground has been vibrating, constantly, ever so slightly, for hours. It feels alive, for lack of a better word.
We are very lucky that Santiago is one of the most modern cities in the western hemisphere, but other cities in the country were not so lucky. Concepcion, for example, where a friend of ours lives, suffered much more damage and we are still awaiting word from her.
Right now, the city is quiet and except for the ground occasionally vibrating, you'd think it was a typical Saturday morning. The power is on, internet is on and the phones are working.
We'll share more on the situation here as things develop.
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5 comments:
Hi Dan and Laura, its hair cutting Kim. I just heard about the quake, and tried to text message you. Thinking that you might not receive it, I remembered this blog and found the address. Soo glad you posted that you guys are ok. I was worried. I will keep reading the updates.
Kim
Thanks for checking in Kim, it's good to hear from you.
Yes, we're fine here. There was very little damage in the capital of Santiago, where we live. Some broken windows and one small parking garage collapsed, but no one was hurt. They closed the airport and the Metro for 24 hours, to give them time to assess the damage.
The major damage is in a smaller city several hours from here on the coast. We still haven't heard a lot about how the people there are doing, because communications have been cut. About 150 people died there from what we heard.
We'll keep posting updates as they come. Right now we're just feeling occasional aftershocks, called "replicas" as the earth settles. Every half hour or so the floor shakes for about 10-15 seconds. It's eerie, but we're getting used to the feeling and are really not scared at this point because they're very mild.
Hello Laura and Dan! It's Liam and Monica here. Glad to hear you're both fine after the earthquake. Hope we don't seem creepy finding your blog like this, but we wanted you to know that we're thinking of you. Make it back safely and we'll see you in May!
Liam & Monica
Hi Liam and Monica, thanks so much for your note! We're glad you're enjoying our blog- it sure came in handy to have one when the quake hit- it made it so much easier to reach out to everyone and let you all know we're safe.
We feel very lucky because there was so little damage here in Santiago. Many stores and bars were closed yesterday, so we spent our Saturday evening hanging out at home and comparing notes about the quake. Definitely a bonding experince for all of us here at the school, and in the house where we're living.
How is everything in NJ? We've heard you've had a LOT of snow lately- so crazy. Hope you both are well- stay warm!
Hi Dan, I just sent a message to laura on FB, I had emailed yesterday but hadn't heard back. We are so glad to hear that you are all okay. I have been in a 7.4 so I can't imagine how a 8.8 was...the aftershocks suck don't they? What an amazing experience you have had though...now that you are okay and on the other side of it. I was at the house last week before our latest 2 foot snow storm...all was okay and I watered the plants... hope to talk to you soon! Love spring and bobby
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