An 8.8 magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami hit Chile Feb. 27, wrecking homes and displacing millions.
A tsunami caused by the earthquake reached Chile’s western shore shortly after the earthquake, increasing devastation.
The earthquake and tsunami destroyed the home of senior Carolina Broemeling’s family in the coastal town of Penco, 60 kilometers from the epicenter, Broemeling said.
She said she has been gathering supplies to send to her family since the earthquake, and the Intercultural Center and School of Global Commerce has assisted in her efforts.
Broemeling wasn’t able to speak with her parents until Monday, Feb. 29. When she spoke with them she learned what they had been through over the weekend.
When the earthquake struck at about 3:35 a.m. on Saturday, Broemeling’s father, mother and 18-year-old brother did not want to leave their house, she said. Broemeling’s mother, who is eight months pregnant, especially did not want to flee, Broemeling said.
Broemeling’s family told her the earthquake lasted for five minutes, and that during the quake objects in their house fell and glass broke.
After Broemeling’s uncle heard a tsunami would come and told the family, they decided to evacuate to a hill close to their house. It was dark at the time they fled as there was no longer any electricity. They left their house with nothing but a flashlight and what they were wearing, Broemeling said.
She said they spent the rest of the night and all day Saturday on a hill that is close to their house.
The tsunami struck late on Saturday and flooded Penco six blocks inland, Broemeling said.
“The police officers said there wasn’t going to be a tsunami, and that it was OK to go back to the house,” Broemeling said.
Her family told her a fisherman said otherwise, and they did not try to go see the damage until after the tsunami hit.
“The tsunami carried a lot of trash and things,” Broemeling said. “Everything was covered with rubble, seaweed and sand. I saw some videos of the tsunami online.”
Broemeling said her parents went down to see the effects of the tsunami.
“They said they had never seen the tide so far out,” Broemeling said.
She said they did not want to leave the house, fearing looters.
She also said they did not have any communication until they drove about two hours to her grandparents’ house, which did not suffer any damage.
Broemeling said she received a short phone call from them during class on Monday, but the call was cut off. After two hours trying to reach them in the Intercultural Center, Broemeling said she was able to speak with them that afternoon.
Since then, she said her brother has been e-mailing her and she has been able to call her family.
She said there have been over 120 aftershocks since the initial quake. Broemeling said aftershocks have come about every half hour, with some reaching a magnitude of 6.2.
Because of those aftershocks, clean up efforts have been limited, Broemeling said.
The Broemeling family has been able to run water a couple hours a day, and has had periodic electricity and Internet access. She also said representatives from city hall went door to door delivering groceries.
Contact Rachel Bair at rachel.bair@whitworthian.com.
Quake wrecks Chilean student’s home
Published: Monday, March 15, 2010
Updated: Monday, March 15, 2010
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