Spoke with my family in Lima after yesterday's earthquake

16 years ago

My husband's brothers live in Lima. I got a call last night saying that one brother and his family were accounted for but they could not communicate with the other ones because all the telephone lines were down.

I finally reached them this morning and everyone is OK! My brother-in-law works in Ica periodically the place that sustained major damage and he said that there was no way anyone could reach it via highway since the roads were cracked and power lines were down.

I was there vacationing w/ my kids 3 years ago by the seaside and one morning as we were making our way down to the beach I heard a terrifying loud roar and everything starting shaking. We all ran helter-skelter out to the streets and it was really frightening because 2 of my kids were already down at the beach and I could not find them!

And if that wasn't scary enough, people running up from the beach were screaming that a tsunami was coming! I finally found them. Afterwards everyone is in shock, nobody says much, we all just stand around starring and waiting for another shock. I did see some humor there though, I saw a guy standing in the middle of the street in his boxer shorts, staring at the sea, and a lady who had been in the middle of coloring her hair was talking to us while the dark stuff dripped down her face.

The thought that strikes me most about this is how surreal it all seems while you are going through it, the shaking beneath your feet, the loud creaking coming from the buildings, the terrifying sound the earth itself makes, like a mighty roar that you cannot truly describe, and all throughout, the sky is blue and the sun is shining, surreal.

I hope and pray there aren't too many casualties today.

Betty

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Comments (11)

anntn6b
16 years ago
I'm glad you've heard from your family.
I expect their gov't is approaching Ica from the sea? Road stability after that great an earthquake has to be a concern.
morz8 - Washington Coast
16 years ago
Betty, I'm so glad your family is safe, I hope life the next few days while things are being assessed/repaired isn't too difficult for them.

I was outside playing with a neighbors dog when another neighbor called for me to go in and turn on CNN, tsunami warning from this earthquake for Hawaii and she knew I'd already worried myself through an earlier small earthquake on the big island and Hurricane Flossie - my sis in law is at their condo there. I was grateful (for her and for everyone) that the tsunami didn't materialize...spoiled brat :) This wasn't even a special trip, she goes three times a year.

I've been in two earthquakes here and you're right on about the noise - so frightening. I can't imagine experiencing an earthquake in the dark and not being able to see what was happening!
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pete41
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Glad your family is safe.
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aprille
16 years ago
Betty glad to hear that your family is safe. My sister-in-law (DH's brother's wife) is from Peru and she's not been able to get in touch with most of her family as yet - we are very worried. She's got some family in Lima that she's heard from, but the majority of them are in Pisco - we made so many friends there when we went for their wedding 2 years ago... we are praying that everyone is safe. It's not looking too good from what I've seen on the news.

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bettym_grow
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you all so much for the good wishes!

I was able to get through after I posted the above to my other brother-in-law, everyone is OK! He said the one in Arequipa a couple years back (that's where everyone is originally from) was worse than last night's. With this one people weren't as stunned and everyone was running around trying to reach their loved ones via cell phones which were not working either. My little nephew was the last one accounted for, he was at swim practice and when everything started shaking another mom took him and her son with her out of the pool complex. My SIL was at wits end for a couple hours looking for him.

Both my BILs are back to work today. Schools are closed but they are trying to get back to normal life.

Aprille, I hope and pray your family is OK! I know that area got hit very hard. Please let us know when you hear from them.

Thank you all!

Betty
aprille
16 years ago
Thanks Betty - just heard back that everyone is fine - some damage to a few houses of my Sister-in-law's family, but nothing major. BIL said that the church they got married in Pisco was damaged, 8 people died in that church which is very tragic.

Aprille
pagan
16 years ago
betty - glad things are fine. earthquakes to me are far more frightening then other natural disasters - at least with hurricanes you get some warning.
zeffyrose
16 years ago
I'm happy to hear that everyone's family is OK

Very scary,

Florence
moodyblue
16 years ago
Betty I am so happy your family is fine in this tragic earthquake.

...and April too, I am glad you have heard and your minds are at rest.

Pauline - Vancouver Island
bettym_grow
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you pagan, zeffyrose and moodyblue,

My brother in law is planning on taking some supplies with some friends up to Pisco and they will be taking their older kids & teens to see if they can help out in some way. Maybe just being there and lending a hand will help a little. Pisco is fast becoming an important region in Peru due to it's wineries. Hopefully they will recover quickly.

Thanks again,

Betty
meredith_e Z7b, Piedmont of NC, 1000' elevation
16 years ago
Oh Betty, how terrifying! I'm glad everyone is safe. Prayers for the victims and their loved ones.

I have only felt little earthquakes in Costa Rica, but I arrived there just after a large one and it's sobering to see the destruction. My aunt and uncle, who lived there, felt large ones later, and the description sounds horrifyingly surreal.

Spoke with my family in Lima after yesterday's earthquake

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anntn6b

morz8 - Washington Coast

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Spoke with my family in Lima after yesterday's earthquake

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