Decorative image of a snow capped mountain This is the geography site logo Image of a man standing on a mountain top. Just decoration
A small box showing either todays date or the time
A small box showing either todays date or the time

 

My Earthquake Experiences

By Marianne Boszik


There is never any warning. The ground shakes like a large truck is going by, but there isn't any street. The house groans and rocks. The walls shiver and roll. When the earthquake is happening, it seems like time stops. You hold your breath and count. Your mind numbs as seconds become interminable.

If you are trapped in a room, you look for someplace solid...you may have time to get there. It is often over before you know it. The lamp swings and the pictures shift their moorings. The cans tip on their sides, and some may jiggle and fall off the edge.

As the earthquake ends, you can breath again, and time resumes. Suddenly, the spill is spreading across the floor, the dust sifts down after its disturbance. You asses the damage, clean it up, and watch, and wait. You know the aftershocks will come, but you don't know when or how hard. When they come, you hold your breath again...

Mostly, you live your life and don't dwell on the instabilities of the land. Life is too uncertain to worry about how you will die. I'm sure there are worse ways, and natural disasters happen anywhere. So you enjoy the sun and wind and watch the quiet earth, as time rolls on in earthquake country.

Click to go back one page


We value your ideas and suggestions. Please contact the maintainer of this site.

This page can be found at: http://www.geography-site.co.uk

Last update to this statement was on: October 26, 2005

© Copyright Geography Site


Logo of NGFL NGfL Home Page Black rectangle that is part of the bar along the bottom of the page