8.8 Earthquake Devastates Chile

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March 1, 2010 • Kelly Fairbanks  
Filed under BuccaNews

             The morning of February 27^th 2010 was marked as a day of devastation for Chile and surrounding South American countries. Richter scales measured this earthquake as an 8.8, hundreds of times stronger than the Haitian earthquake that occurred on February 12^th. The death toll has reached 708 people and is still dramatically increasing. As President Bachelet stated, “It was a catastrophe with devastating consequences.”

            The quake brought along with it over ninety aftershocks and a tsunami. The tsunami devastated coastal islands and communities as well as leaving multiple people dead or missing. The tsunami traveled across the Pacific, reaching as far as Japan, but did minimal damage. Hawaii took precautions for a tsunami as they saw water begin to recede from beaches on the Big Island. Roads were clogged with motorists moving inland. But Hawaii also did not experience what they prepared for. Instead, they received large waves.

            Six regions of Chile have been declared as catastrophic zones: Valparalso, Metropolitana, Libertador O’Higgins, Arucania, BioBio and Maule. In these areas, half a million homes were severely damaged, leaving a large number of Chileans homeless. Main roads, bridges, and hospitals were damaged and consequently shut down. Santiago’s airport and subway system were also closed temporarily. The lack of power, gas, and dealing with aftershocks made rescue work difficult throughout the major cities.

            Many Chileans have wrongly taken advantage of this earthquake. In San Pedro, police had to forcefully remove people who broke into a supermarket stealing all of its supplies. ATM’s have been broken into, banks robbed, and stores vandalized. In the city of Concepcion, inmates escaped out of a nearby prison. All of this crime is not making recovery efforts any easier.

            Disaster relief organizations have sent aid in response to this catastrophe including Telecom without Borders, Doctors without Borders, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and The Red Cross. If you would like to follow the example of these organizations and reach out to those in Chile, below are some opportunities to assist those in need.  

• Text CHILE to 25383 to donate $10 to Habitat for Humanity;
• Text CHILE to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross;
• Text CHILE to 52000 to donate $10 to the Salvation Army;
• Text CHILE to 20222 to donate $10 to World Vision.