Earthquakes: Why You Should Wear Clothes to Bed

Today (April 20th, 2013) there was a magnitude 7.0 (or 6.6 depending on your source) earthquake in the Sichuan province, about 70 miles away from Chengdu, in the town of Ya'an.The quake was felt here in Chengdu. Especially here on the 12th floor of the international dorms at Southwest University for Nationalities.

Credit: USA Today

Hello Chengdu Peach Blossom Run (pic courtesy of Nancy Thao)

I woke up from a dead sleep at around 8:00am this morning with the fear of imminent death. Its been a toasty 80 something degrees here for a few days, so I was not wearing my pajamas as I jumped out of bed and ran for the door way. Luckily I grabbed my robe hanging by the door and threw it on, just as I opened the door to the hallway. The whole building was violently shaking and several other students were standing in their doorways as well. I could see broken glass all over the flood in my friends room across the hall. We waited till the shaking stopped, then I threw on some clothes, grabbed my purse and ran down the 12 flights of stairs. People stood outside in their pajamas, some without shoes, and waited to see if it was going to start again. The phone lines were too busy to make calls or texts. After 20 minutes (?) or so it was clear that the shaking was over and people began to go back inside.

Thankfully, not my dorm building.
Credit: USA Today

Later that day we found out that the earthquake had hit Lushan county and that at least 100 people had died and 1,000s were injured. Its a jarring reminder of what happened in 2008, in the same location. Thankfully, the devastation wasn't as bad as last time, but the loss of life is still upsetting. One of my friend's boyfriend's family lives in Ya'an. It was a nerve wracking day for them, trying to figure out whether everyone was alright.
I hope that the earthquake does not go unnoticed int the US media. I feel that every earthquake is a portending of the super-quake due to happen in the Pacific Northwest, quite possibly within my lifetime. I only hope that we'll start to take seriously how devastating even a small earthquake can be, let alone one that reaches a magnitude 8 or 9.