Earthquakes

An Email from Schramma (Sister Schramm): 

dear fam....

We had only been home for about 2 min (around 9pm) last night when the towns alarms went off. Then the police drove around w/ loud speakers telling all to evacuate.

I could hardly believe it.  We just grabbed our coats and computers and got in the truck and headed for higher ground. We spent time helping get others get situated to higher ground. Then we tried to sleep in the truck until we could go back home (2am'ish) after the hours of danger had passed.  Learned a pretty good lesson thru it all---  I felt like Lots wife because I could see my house down below and just wanted to return and go to bed. There was no visible danger and after listening to the radio reports we knew the big waves would not come this time---  thank-goodness.  It was a very long day but kinda exciting too.

We did not feel the earthquake and it was a calm night so hard to believe. Also not having TV etc--it is surprising when you hear news delivered thru a siren and neighbors etc.  I talked to a neighbor for a min. and could tell she was in 'shock' over it. Even here where they are used to earthquakes they don't often have to evacuate.  Only the parts of town down low near the beaches had to leave for high ground.

Monday (zone conf) the pres. spent some good time covering emergency preparedness in these types of situations. We even and 2 mock scenarios. For the future I will pack a little bag of cloths and snacks and remember water. I barely had time to dump my home-making stuff from my back-pack and put in my computer stuff. No time to think about choosing a pair of pants or crackers etc.  Then dad was honking and I forgot to lock the door (did lock the gate) but we had a good spot to watch over our house....  prob write more on our blog soon!

Tks for all your prayers and calls etc.  Lots of people here did the same and made sure we knew to leave :)

lovies, mama

An Email from Schrammpa (Elder Schramm): 

Email exchange  w/ Tom Saldivar, another missionary couple who are serving about a hundred miles north of us in Monte Patria.

April 4, 2014

Buenos Dias,

How you doing?? Did you feel the shaker this morning around 7AM.  We were just waking up and talking about removing those warm blankets when the windows started rattling then the house started to move.. we jumped out of the sack and grabbed our robes and shoes and went outside.

It was a 5.2 epicenter was in Salamanca..
 

 Check out these stats on seismic activity in Chile... as of two days ago..

Chile has had: (M1.5 or greater)

·       47 earthquakes today

·       68 earthquakes in the past 7 days

·       154 earthquakes in the past month

·       362 earthquakes in the past year

Did you know that there are more earthquakes in Chile than any place else on earth... fun place to live.

We decided we better get a "go kit" ready and keep it by the door.  Water, granola bars,  nuts & raisins, canned fruit, TP, a few pesos... maybe a pair of sox and clean underware...the last item is crucial,  especially if the quake was bad enough to merit using the go kit,  I probably would have messed my pants !!

Take care... mostly just wanted to say "hi"

To Tom:

Ha ha ha.  We updated our go-kit  to include underware after  our  first tsunami evacuation when the 8.3 Iquique quake hit tuesday.  Then we used it the next night on wed. for the 7.9 Iquique aftershock, when we again  had to  evacuate to high ground  Then we had the 7 a.m. shaker (the next morning?) and later that night around midnight we had a real shaker that lasted a long time.  We heard it and woke up before we  felt it.  It sounded like distant thunder rumbling and coming closer and closer and  then the whole house started shaking when  it arrived,  probably for at least 30 seconds.  

Its really amazing how  fast the news reports these things.  The last two we've turned on the radio to see where the epicenter was, to get an idea if there is a tsunami/evacuation threat.  They are literally reporting the location and intensity and everything else  you can think of  within 30 seconds... who felt what itensity, who lost power and who did not, etc..