Ecuador quake

[T. Brown 1st MRB]

So I've posted on FB about my safety, but got a few steam PM's about it and realized I'm not friends on FB with everyone so should probably let ya'll know I am OK.

 

It was fucking intense. I'm in Quito, about 150km away from the coast, and it hit hard here. I'm in a 11th floor apartment, and even after growing up in Japan, few in years in California, this was, by far, the most intense earthquake I've ever felt. I had to hold onto a wall to steady myself, TV/mirrors fell down, and even this far away, at such a high elevation (meaning there was a lot of ground to dissipate the energy), there are now cracks in the drywall and possibly foundation of the building. 

 

Crack That's my bedroom now

 

I had visited Canoa, a beach town in Ecuador, about 15 days ago. It is now gone. I posted a 100+ pic album on FB, I'll add link here, hopefully it works (she made it public)

 

FB album

 

All the friends and people I know here are ok too. It was a 3-day weekend, lot of us traveled around, but fortunately no one had chosen the coast for this weekend. My gf was in Peru for a work conference, she had no idea it even happened until she got back to the hotel room around 11pm and got on Skype to talk to me. 

 

If you want to donate, please do carefully. This is the official PNUD account info link, and of course Red Cross has stuff up. This city has organized a fuckton of relief efforts already, I'm really proud of them, but of course there are people who are fucking shit up. Few reports of relief trucks robbed on way to the coast, of people being shady and taking funds for themselves, so if you do donate, please research it a lot (even the link I posted, research it beforehand, make sure it hasn't changed. Trust nothing unless from a direct official source). Police have stepped it up today though, it is really amazing to see the Ecuadorian public services making an effort. This is a third world country after all...

 

SO yea, I'm alive. My cat is alive. Friends are alive. HUGS

Edited April 18, 2016 by T. Brown 1st MRB

[S. Larson 1st MRB]

Glad to hear you're doing well Brown, I personally have never been in an earthquake. But I'm sure it's pretty crazy being in one of the magnitude you described. Hope everything gets better!

[T. Brown 1st MRB]

The odd thing is, I feel much safer now. We've had 2 quakes in the past year that I felt, neither of much significance, but since both my gf and I grew up in Tokyo with very strict building codes, we've always wondered if this building could withstand something big. There was never much concern while in Tokyo...those are built for quakes. Now that I went through that and its still standing (even with a few cracks), I feel better today than I did a month ago. 

 

Still, if it had hit any closer, the loss of life would be MUCH greater, probably including my own. Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador (2+ million population, Quito has 1.4) suffered a bit with a collapsed overpass and a few compromised constructs, and they're about 70km closer to the epicenter. 

 

We're still feeling aftershocks ever so often, as to be expected. My cat is freaking out anytime a truck drives by now : ( 

[Candy 1st MRB]

Glad to hear you're doing well man. They actually have earthquakes in Oklahoma these days too, but things are so flat around here nothing will fall down, and of course they are nowhere close to the high 7's.  Keep in touch and stay safe.

[Α-Ω ßÄЯ]

Once I heard about the quakes down there one of the first things that popped into my mind was "How's Brown doing?"  After being in a few different type of  quakes myself ,

( 1.the up and down one's like a big truck going by your house (poor cat), 2. side by side one's where everything moves and even the walls wave hi! or 3. the combo of the two which are the worst) I can really appreciate what you must of gone through. Glad to hear you and everyone is ok and hoping it stays that way!

[J. Hill]

glad you made it through unscathed.  However, your poor cat will suffer from PTSD for a while.  Keep us posted if there is anything we can do for you.  I will say, I am surprised you still have internet.

[T. Brown 1st MRB]

ME TOO. There was power outtages, but right now it's on and fine. I'm being told that Quito survived without damage because of the elevation; while we're relatively close to the coast, we're 3000 meters above sea level....that's a lot of ground to absorb all the energy. Anywhere else in the world, we'd be fucked too.

 

Plus at this elevation, there are no mosquitos or bugs....it takes a few days to acclimate, but I guess it's worth it! 

[Gougeon 1st MRB]

Glad to hear your ok!