• 1.5 million people displaced by the Chile quake source

View Larger Map

• The last 24 hours have been crazy seismically. There was a 7.0 earthquake in Japan yesterday, and now this 8.8 earthquake in Chile (just upgraded by the USGS, which tracks quakes) sounds especially scary. It’s already prompted tsunami warnings in neighboring countries. We’ll keep you posted. It’s already quite awful. source

• Our hotel is built for this. In Chile, this happens many times.
• Santiago, Chile, Hotel Kennedy employee Anita Herrera • Regarding the earthquake which just hit her country. While this quake is quite large, the country has lots of experience with large-scale quakes. The powerful 9.5-magnitude 1960 Valdiva Earthquake, for example, was so huge that it caused a tsunami that reached all the way to Alaska. From Chile. That quake left a huge death toll (as many as 6,000 dead). This one also forced a a tsunami warning for Chile and Peru. Our prayers go out to the country. source

• 9.5M the size of a 1960 quake, which is the largest earthquake ever recorded in world history
• eight number of earthquakes the country has had above an 8.0 magnitude before 1800 source

• 212 miles away from the capitol; close enough to damage? source