Earthquakes and Volcanoes

 

The second half of last week was filled with plenty of adventure.  On Wednesday morning, classes and elementary chapel were interrupted by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Costa Rica, just about 100 miles away from Managua.  It was strong enough to be felt by everyone in the school and lasted longer than most tremors we have experienced.  People described it as though the floor was moving in a circular motion, and some said they felt like they were going to faint.  Our students, teachers and staff immediately commenced our well-rehearsed evacuation procedures and everyone was on the soccer field, safe and accounted for in a few minutes.  No damages were reported and we resumed class soon after.

 

The following day, local seismologists reported 17 separate small tremors with origin in the Managua area.  All were small and imperceptible, but the activity was enough to raise the earthquake threat level to "green" (the lowest level on the scale).  This resulted in a decision to close all national public schools on Friday and conduct crisis management training for teachers nationwide. Due to our own preparedness and the minimum threat, NCA (and several other private schools) held class as normal on Friday, but just before noon, the school closing orders were expanded to include NCA and we sent students home early.

 

Although the big earthquake that everyone feared on Friday never happened, Nicaragua's tallest volcano, San Cristobal, registered the highest activity in many years on Saturday morning, expelling ash clouds that prompted authorities to evacuate about 3,000 local residents.

 

According to many Nicaraguans, we are "due" for another big earthquake in the next year or so.  This is primarily based on a superstitious belief that  earthquakes here occur on a 40-year cycle.  In the past 127 years, Managua has been destroyed three times by a major earthquake that strikes every 40-45 years.  Major destructive earthquakes in Nicaragua happened in 1884, 1931 and 1972. You do the math.

 

Although mankind has rarely had success predicting earthquakes, we know their destructive power.  Please pray for Nicaragua as fears arise, especially among those that lived through the tragedy of the 1972 quake.  And may God protect us and continue to hold us in His hand!