8.8 Earthquake Hits Chile

[Richard Myers]

Disasters continue to increase in harmony with Bible prophecies just prior to Jesus second coming.

An 8.8 quake hit Chile this morning. It was over 60 times stronger than the quake that hit Haiti.

[Tim2]

I thought is was interesting in one report that this quake could affect destruction to 1/4 of the globe.  Does that measurement ring a bell?

[Richard Myers]

Tsunami warnings have been issued for entire Pacific Ocean including Hawaii. The California coast is at risk.

[Richard Myers]

1/3 rings a bell. What are you thinking of Brother Tim?

[Richard Myers]

Here is a picture of tsunami damage to Crescent City, California, from the large Chilean quake that hit in 1960. 

[Richard Myers]

A tsunami warning — the highest alert level — was issued for Hawaii, where emergency officials planned to wake residents with sirens alerting them to the impending waves. Even before daybreak, lines formed at supermarkets with residents stocking up on water, canned food and batteries. Cars lined up 15 deep at several gas stations.

The first waves were expected at 11:19 a.m. Saturday (4:19 p.m. EST). Most Pacific Rim nations, awaiting further data, did not order evacuations but advised people in low-lying areas to be on the lookout.

[Richard Myers]

The wave that has been generated is being reported to be fairly small, in the seven foot range. The quake is smaller than the Indonesian quake and smaller than the Chilean quake 50 years ago.   A 7.7 foot wave hit a small Chilean town. 

[Richard Myers]

This quake ties for 7th on the list of greatest earthquakes ever recorded, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.


Top 10 Most Powerful Quakes (as of Feb. 25, 2010)

1. 1960 – Chile – M 9.5
2. 1964 – Prince William Sound, Alaska – M 9.2
3. 2004 – Sumatra-Andaman Islands – M 9.1
4. 1952 – Kamchatka – M 9.0
5. 1868 – Arica, Peru (now Chile) – M 9.0
6. 1700 – Cascadia Subduction Zone – M 9.0
7. 1906 – Off the Coast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador – M 8.8
8. 1965 – Rat Islands, Alaska – M 8.7
9. 1755 – Lisbon, Portugal – M 8.7
10. 1730 – Valparasio, Chile – M 8.7

[Richard Myers]

From the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

[Tim2]

1/3 rings a bell. What are you thinking of Brother Tim?

Those pesky number keys -- I just noticed that the 4 is right next to the 3.   Imagine that.  My mistake.  Sorry. 

My nephew lives in Hawaii.  Whole island chains will disappear some day (SOP). 

[Richard Myers]

Here is a timeline for the tsunami. It is expected to hit Hawaii around 4pm EST.  Time Map

[Richard Myers]

No damage in Hawaii, but Japan is evacuating some anticipating 9 foot waves.

[colporteur]

Brother Richard;

I am rusty in this area. Is an 8.8 quake roughly 20 times worse than the 7.0 that hit Haiti or 200 times worse?

What is the highest on the richter scale ?

[Immanuel]

The Chile quake is about 500 times more powerful than the Haiti quake. It is about half as powerful as the Great Lisbon Quake.

[Richard Myers]

Yes, my estimate was a little off when using the richter scale.  I was trying to make the point when I first posted that the quake was not in any way comparable to the Haiti quake. This one was big. The loss of life was not as great, but not because of the magnitude of the quake. I think it is 30 times the energy from 7.0 to 8.0. Then 30 times from 8.0 to 9.0.

That is  not 60 but 30 times 30 which equals 900 times as strong. At 8.8 it would not be 900, but somewhat less. The 9.5 in 1960 created a much larger tsunami that hit Hawaii and Japan and the US.  The incremental increase is not on the basis of addition but multiplication.

When using the Moment magnitude scale, and then measuring amplitude the difference was less than a hundred times as powerful.  Again, the point being, the Chile quake was much stronger than the Haiti quake. But, to the families of those lost in Haiti, it makes little difference.

[Richard Myers]

Church infrastructure severely damaged in major Chile quake


An 8.8-magnitude earthquake, one of the most powerful in recorded history, shook the South American country of Chile early Saturday morning, taking hundreds of lives and damaging public and Seventh-day Adventist Church infrastructure around the quake's epicenter, some 200 miles south of the capital, Santiago.

The Adventist radio station in Chile, La Radio Nuevo Tiempo, is announcing that fellowship halls at Adventist churches are available to the public in need of assistance, said Madigal Perez, executive secretary of the church's South American Division, based in Brasilia, Brazil.

More than 700 people have died in the disaster, an estimated 500,000 homes have been destroyed and 1.5 million others have suffered damage, according to Chile's National Office of Emergencies and Information (ONEMI).

Several Adventist Church buildings were destroyed in the city of Talca, including the Central Chile Mission administration office, an ADRA warehouse and the Talca Central Adventist Church, officials for the church in South America reported.

Church officials also reported structural damage to sanctuaries in Los Angeles, the Chile Union Mission office, located in Santiago, the South Chile Conference office, located in Temuco, and Chile Adventist University in Chillán.

"The ground was moving like ocean waves," said Nancy Roa Vidal, a resident of Santiago. "[The earthquake] lasted approximately two minutes. We're in a state of catastrophe."

Residents near the epicenter remain jittery as aftershocks continue. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has recorded more than 105 aftershocks stronger than 5.0-magnitude since the quake struck Saturday at 3:34 a.m. local time.

"People are out of their homes, and many are thinking of sleeping outside for fear of the aftershocks," said Jorge Alé, country director for ADRA in Chile.

ADRA dispatched a truckload of water, which left Saturday afternoon from Santiago to the cities of Talca and Concepción. Mattresses, blankets, and other basic necessities are also being procured for distribution.

ADRA's urban rescue team is also coordinating aid to the city of Villa Alemana, near Valparaiso.

ADRA International and ADRA of South America have pledged an initial $105,000 to help in relief efforts Chile.

ADRA is accepting donations for the Chile Earthquake Response Fund at its Web site, adra.org, by phone at 1-800-424-ADRA, or via mobile phone in the U.S. -- text "CHILE" followed by a space and the donation amount to the number 27138.

Chile is no stranger to earthquakes. According to the USGS, Chile endured in 1960 a 9.5-magnitude quake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded.

The long, narrow nation lies near a fault line between the Nazca tectonic plate in the Pacific Ocean and the South American plate. While building codes in the past few decades were designed to withstand earthquake damage, Saturday's quake was nearly unprecedented.

There are some 120,000 Adventist Church members in Chile, worshiping in about 600 churches and 260 organized groups.

More information will be provided when confirmed reports are available.

Source: Adventist News Network  28 Feb 2010, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Felipe Lemos, Herly Mayr and Ansel Oliver

[Mimi]

Four Adventists among dead in Chile earthquake
8 Mar 2010, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Mark A. Kellner, News Editor/Adventist Review

Four Seventh-day Adventist church members in Chile are confirmed dead in the wake of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck the southern part of the South American nation on February 27, church officials have confirmed.

Chile's President-elect Sebastian Piñera and United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton spoke with ADRA volunteers during a visit to the Santiago Airport Tuesday, March 2. ADRA is currently working to distribute food and clean water to earthquake survivors. [photo: ADRA Chile]
United States Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
Two church headquarters have been severely damaged, while more than 10 places of worship have "been almost completely destroyed," according to Pastor Erton Köhler, president of the church in South America.

At the same time, the division reports United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with ADRA volunteers at Santiago's airport on March 2 and commended the group's relief efforts.

"Thanks to those who prayed and continue praying for our brothers and all who have suffered from the earthquake that happened last Saturday in Chile," Köhler wrote in an e-mail message March 5. "We remain united in intercession and supporting our fellow Chileans."

Köhler added, "Until now we have news of four killed Adventists and some still missing. We're still waiting for more news. Furthermore, we have two headquarters, the South Chile Conference in Temuco and Central Mission in Talca, Chile, [that are] highly compromised. More than 10 churches have been almost completely destroyed and some [church-related] academies and schools suffered significant damage. Many of our brothers are homeless, struggling to find food, water and a place to stay."

According to Köhler, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing its assistance in the region. "ADRA is supporting the delivery of food, blankets and tents, as well as having a Canadian team working with water purification and a group of nearly 100 volunteers helping in Santiago to arrange the food to be sent to needy regions," he reported.

According to Karen Cordovez writing for the region, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with the outgoing Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and spoke with President-elect Sebastian Piñera while at the Santiago airport.

During the state visit, Project Coordinator for ADRA Chile Cristián Pincheira spoke with Clinton about the work that ADRA is doing in the country to help the earthquake survivors after Clinton approached the volunteers at the airport, Cordovez reported.

"Clinton expressed her appreciation for the work of the volunteers and related her own awareness of ADRA's work in the United States," Cordovez said.

[Mimi]

The massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile last month moved the entire city of Concepcion -- the closest urban area to the quake's epicenter -- at least 10 feet west, American researchers said Monday.

Chile's capital, Santiago, moved about 11 inches to the west-southwest, while Buenos Aires, all the way across the continent from the quake site, moved about an inch to the west, the researchers said. The cities of Valparaiso and Mendoza, Argentina, both northeast of Concepcion, also moved significantly.

The results were obtained from precise global positioning satellite measurements taken before and after the quake, which occurred off the Maulé coast of Chile, according to earth scientist Mike Bevis of Ohio State University. Since 1993, Bevis has headed the Central and Southern Andes GPS Project, designed to monitor crustal motion and deformation in the region.

Source

[Richard Myers]

ADRA’s Initial Estimate is $105,000 to Aid the Victims of Chile
The administration of the South American Division (SAD), which is headquartered in Brasilia, organized a task force to support earthquake victims in Chile, which took place Saturday morning, February 27, 2010. The president of SAD, Pastor Erton Köhler, assembled the task force including communication, ADRA and business departments to manage this emergency situation as quickly as possible. The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International and ADRA of South America, estimate an initial contribution of $105,000, primarily to help the southern region of Chile (most affected by the quake), aside from the other areas, such as the capital. The idea is to provide resources such as blankets, mattresses and water. The death toll has risen to 147, according to government authorities.
 
According to Pastor Magdiel Perez, secretary of SAD, there are no reports of any Adventist deaths or injuries in Chile, however, the tremors were responsible for the collapse of the covering of the Central Adventist Church in Talca. Even so, the site serves as a hub for receiving and sending donations to the victims. The ADRA warehouse in Talca collapsed. The headquarters of the Chile Union Mission, located in Santiago, suffered considerable damage. Adventist member, Carol Favaro, who is studying for her doctorate in the Chilean capital, told the reporter that aftershocks continue and the general fear is now of landslides. “The local ADRA office is attempting to purchase provisions, but everything is closed and communication is risky,” she confirmed.
“We are working unceasingly and calling for everyone to pray for the Adventists and the population in general in Chile who is suffering right now in this tragedy,” stated Pastor Erton Köhler.
 
Adventists’ Houses Swept out to Sea
More information regarding the earthquake in Chile has arrived, including reports about the state of the facilities and Adventist members throughout the country. The death toll, according to the press, has risen above 100 for the time being. Accoring to Pastor Magdiel Perez, secretary of the South American Division who is following the situation and in contact with Adventist leaders in Chile, in the city of Constitución, where there are many paper factories, many houses have been swept out to sea, including seven Adventist residences. The families remain is homeless. In addition, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, ADRA, with an urban rescue team belonging to the Adventist Church, is coordinating aid to the city of Villa Alemana, near Valparaiso. “In addition, Adventists provided a shelter and a place for people to make food for the needy,” comments Perez. [SAD News, Felipe Lemos]
 
Adventist House Collapses in Chile, No One Injured 
Journalist Paola Ligascchi who is in Chile, is reporting for Globo News and sent a report Saturday morning. The Seventh-day Adventist Church in conjunction with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), remain attentive to the effects of the earthquake in Chile. In Chillan, where the Chile Adventist University is located, 300 prisoners escaped from a local prison and began looting businesses and burning buildings. In Molina, where an Adventist Academy is located, the house of a church member collapsed, but the family is alive and awaiting rescue. “We still have not made contact with the southern part of Chile, but the government is saying that we will have sad surprises in the south,” notified Pastor Magdiel Perez, secretary of the South American Division. [SAD News, Felipe Lemos]
 
Adventists Make their Facilities Available to the Victims of the Earthquake in Chile
New information is now arriving via contact with the secretary of the Chile Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Pastor Bolivar Alaña.
According to Alaña, the headquarters of the Central Chile Mission in Talca have been destroyed. In Temuco, where there is another Adventist head office, known as the South Chile Conference, the main building has been greatly affected, but regrettably there has been no possibility of communication with the Adventists in this area. “The campus of the Chile Adventist University received less damage and the Chilean national emergency organization has contacted ADRA Chile requesting blankets, water and mattresses to assist with casualties,” stated Pastor Magdiel Perez, secretary of the South American Division. The Seventh-day Adventist Church made the Adventist educational facilities available to serve as temporary shelters. In the city of Constitución, the ocean rose as high as the center of town, but there is still no confirmed information regarding victims, nor the destruction of buildings or residential areas. “La Radio Nuevo Tiempo [the Spanish Adventist radio station] is broadcasting live to Chile and announcing that the fellowship halls at the Adventist churches are available to the public in need of local assistance,” confirmed Perez. [SAD News, Felipe Lemos]
 
ADRA Appeals for Supplies for Victims
Santiago, Chile… [SAD News] Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Chile reported that of the 16 million inhabitants of Chile, at least 13 million have been affected by the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks since the first tremors were felt early Saturday morning. Cities such as Curicó, Talca, Chillán, Concepcion and Los Angeles have been left without water or power. The greatest needs for those affected are food, clothing, bedding, mats, mattresses, cots and tents.
Regarding the Adventist facilities, some regional headquarters suffered serious structural damages and there are reports that in the city of Talca, a member of the Adventist church has died. In Los Angeles, the Central Adventist Church sanctuary has been destroyed. A leader of colporteurs (salespeople of religious literature) who was in Concepción, recently relocated to a house and consequently escaped injury.
The South American Division of the Adventist Church is providing ways for people to contribute financially to the earthquake victims through the Internet. [SAD News, Felipe Lemos]
 
In Chile, the Adventist Church includes 119,026 members with 599 churches and 260 organized groups. [ASN group, Felipe Lemos]
 

[stephen]

Dear friends and family,

We are OK, thank God! And thank you for your prayers and concern. The experts say the Chilean earthquake was an 8.8 (Richter) and lasted 2 minutes. What they are failing to report is that it didn't stop after the first 2 minutes, it just diminished to an 8.5, then 8.4 and so on for a total of four and a half minutes of bone-jarring movement. Then, still continuing to shake nonstop, the force dropped to 6 and 5 until a full half hour later it finally stopped shaking for a few minutes for the first time. The 5 and 4 magnitude shakes continued every few minutes all day and into the next night, with several more of 6 scattered throughout. According to the USGS count, each 24 hours went approximately like this:
   
            separate aftershocks       magnitude 5+  (including)   magnitude 6+

             Feb. 27                                              86                                  3
             Feb. 28                                              40                                  1
             Mar. 1                                                15                               
             Mar. 2                                                13
             Mar. 3                                                  6                                  1
             Mar. 4                                                  6                                  2
             Mar. 5                                                  7                                  2

This morning there have already been three of magnitude 5, and on the national news a scientist was saying that there IS the possibility of another big one, unless they continue to diminish in number and in force.

We rode out the first several minutes in bed. Cesar felt confident the house would withstand it, and it did--not a single crack in the steel-reinforced concrete and brick building which he designed to withstand a magnitude 9. Then we went down to the first floor and crawled into the guest bed. But since the shaking continued, we decided it would be safer in the car. In the car you could feel every little vibration but the intensity was absorbed by the tires. Plus, with no electricity in the house, it was the only place we could listen to the radio. The only broadcasts coming through were on AM from Argentina. We learned that the quake was felt all over Argentina and clear into Brazil, so I guess the whole Southern Cone of South America was wagging its tail.

When daylight finally came, there was an eerie silence. Even the dogs were too frightened to bark. Sometime after noon the local NBC affiliate began to broadcast. They couldn't get a connection to the national line but they had reporters all over town describing what they saw--which we had not begun to imagine. It wasn't until late the next day when they were able to hook into the main feed that we heard about the tsunami and damage in other places.

On Monday I was able to get a tiny bit of signal on my cellphone and after much trying, finally got word out to a relative in Santiago that we were OK. But he had trouble getting through to the U.S. until two days later. By then my nephew Gabriel figured out a way to patch a call through and I was able to inform him that we were fine. That is, no water, electricity, or cooking gas, but the neighbors had a barbecue and plenty of wood, so we were able to cook and boil water. I promised to find out about the sister of the relative in Santiago who is married to Cesar's brother, so on Monday we drove out to their place and found them surviving about like the rest. Their chimney fell and filled their living room with bricks, blocking both exits, so they had to crawl out through a window. But their son was looking after them now and they seemed OK.This trip allowed us to go through a part of the city and view some of the damaged roads and buildings.       
The next day a single lady, friend of mine and of the same age, rode a borrowed bike clear across town from where her brother-in-law had taken her the first day. She needed to get some clothing and food out of her apartment, but was scared to go in alone. She lives not too far from here so I took her in the car, then drove her back out to her sister's place with the goods. That's when we found out that whole neighborhoods were sealing off streets and arming themselves with sticks, knives, beebee guns or whatever was available in order to defend themselves from looters. Some of these were criminals escaped from the broken jail, but mostly it was people taking advantage of the circumstances. Gangs would zero in on a store or office building--anything--and clean up, then try to set it afire. Sometimes they succeeded. By the time we got home, our own neighborhood was getting ready to meet out in the street to discuss what to do. This was almost more frightening than the earthquake and the problem had become very widespread before the government finally sent 12.000 army personnel and imposed a curfew from 6 p.m. until 12 noon. It is still in effect and we're feeling much safer.

There were two sons and a daughter, their spouses and two granddaughters, that eventually joined our "party". At first, it was a race to eat up all the perishables, then the contents of the freezers which were no longer frozen. To begin with, we used the several gallons of water that I alway keep for such emergencies. Then we tried the water from the water trucks that came by a few blocks away, but it was off-colored and not good. We used water from a pond a couple miles away, for flushing. Soon the guys located a source of fresh water across town and have been making daily water runs. But now the gas in the cars is getting low and the stations, unable to pump, draw out and sell it, a gallon or two at a time.

Thursday evening the electricity returned and a little earlier there was phone service. So now I could call my kids and Mom, and eventually we had Internet. Sometimes these things would go off again for awhile, but life is beginning to improve. Friday, with lights back on, people started going home. Still no water, but now we can see on television the terrible situation that many others are living, who lost everything and some even lost family members. You probably know more about those details than we do, but this is our story. A young friend in Santiago called and asked if Cesar needed medication. We had about enough for five days of the main one but had run out of a couple of supplements that he needs. This person somehow was able to send everything we needed by a courier system the church seems to have set up, and a local Pathfinder brought it to our door yesterday.

Today, Saturday, people are calling or stopping by for a visit or to collect their checks, etc. We think life may be returning to normalcy. We are probably two or three days away from the return of water, baths and laundry. But we feel like we've come a long way. Others do not have the peace we have experienced, and sometimes they seem to come apart at the seams. We try to encourage them or help where we can. One thing is for sure: this disaster has been a great revelation of hearts. There have been many heroic deeds or quiet efforts to help those less fortunate on the one side. But sadly, there have been other acts which have brought utter shame upon the community, the perpetrators, the nation, and the human race. Someone suggested it was the different socio-economic levels that made the difference, but that cannot be. Right in our own neighborhood, people were seen making off with stuff like tv's, and bottles of liquor from the stores. Some reported that folks were trying to sell bread for $6 a kilo instead of the usual $1.50. 

And now, after a couple of phone calls from the States, I think I'd better add a paragraph with the bare facts, some of which apparently are not coming across through the media. 1. After the initial mega quake, there WAS a tsunami that wiped out much of Talcahuano, Chile's second port and its naval headquarters, as well as many of the smaller fishing villages and tourist towns to the north as far as Constitucion (for those using Google maps). The wave was reported to be 60 feet (20 meters) high and swept inland as far as 4 miles (7 kilometers) in some places. Local police and firemen did their best to give the warning, and many local people heeded it. But when the president announced over the radio that there was no danger of a wave and that everyone should go home, many of the vacationers went back back, and were swept away. 2. After the the police and/or military death counts reached about 1200, the president put out a gag order and now ONLY verified deaths are being reported (bodies identified by relatives or with documentation in their pockets, I suppose). This resulted in new a list of only 270 deaths, although that has now climbed to around 700. I suspect tens of thousands will be accounted for after the new president takes over next Thursday. 3. Originally, President Bachelet disdainfully refused U.S. aid, saying Chile was built to withstand earthquakes. While that may be partly true, it is the brand new apartment buildings and luxury office buildings built during her term of office that fell or were damaged beyond repair. Thousands of people lost everything; we DO need all the help we can get, and the incoming president has suggested that it will take three years to recover.

Please keep us in your prayers.
Love, --Kathleen & Cesar