Earthquake!

February 6, 2012.


I was sitting on our couch with my back to the end wall. I heard the sound of a strong wind and looked up.

From this position I was looking the length of the house and out the open kitchen door.

The house was literally tipping from side to side. My first thought was – that is some wind! Then I realised wind does not make a cement block house dance. This is an earthquake!

Next thought, where will my computer be safest? I quickly popped it under the couch. Then I realised I should be out the door myself. I called over to Dan in the garden. He was working on his stump and it started to jump up and down in the hole.

Riza was inside starting lunch. She thought Dan had done something to the stump that shook her kitchen. Then she looked behind herself and saw the whole gazebo was moving. She was running around, trying to decide the safest place to stand.

Leroy was working in the workshop. He also heard the sound of wind. Then that huge brick building was shaking as well.

All was quiet. Then it began again, this time just a small aftershock.

There was a short mention on the news channel so I went on the internet looking for more information. It was a 6.8 Richter quake entered north of Dumaguete. A small child was killed in Tayasan when their block fence fell on her. A man suffered cuts when his windows broke in San Carlos.

It was very strong in Binalbagen where Riza’s family is so she checked on her father. He is fine. Her cousin manufactures Nata from coconut. It is a very sensitive culture. With the strong shaking it all died and her current stock is destroyed. That will be a substantial financial loss for her company.

People were frightened by the strength of the quake. The market closed early and everyone went home. Children, even here in Murcia, were sent home from school.

There was no Pacific Tsunami warning. But a local warming was issued. It caused panic in Cebu City. People saw the water level rise and word spread. People abandoned their cars in the street, left shops open and stopped whatever they were doing to run. But where to run? The warning was rescinded within 3 hours.

We felt the aftershocks while cooking dinner and again as we cleared up but they were not strong at Calibago. Apparently one of the stronger ones we felt was centered in the Bacolod area. The aftershocks did cause cracks to show up in the walls of our little house, marring the new paint job.

The people on the Dumaguete coast were suffering. The death toll is still rising. Roads are cut, three bridges are impassable and the landslides buried homes in three villages. There were many more strong aftershocks. People are living on the street with no food, water or gasoline available.

We were very lucky to have left the area to return home when we did.