There have been numerous aftershocks from this quake. There was a significant one that measured 5.1 just 30 minutes later, causing us to evacuate our house again. Even this aftershock felt just as strong as anything else we've experienced. There have been 16 significant aftershocks and hundreds of smaller ones that are less perceptible. Although damage in Managua has been minimal, there were several homes that were damaged in a city called Nagarote. Much of the damage was partly due to poorly constructed houses that were not built to withstand earthquakes.
It is safe to say that the people of Managua are very nervous. After the first earthquake and a few aftershocks, the government issued a "red alert" and school was cancelled for the following day (the last day of school before Semana Santa -- Holy Week). A second quake the next day resulted in businesses, stores and malls being closed. Many people remember the big earthquake that leveled Managua in 1972 and have a strong fear of earthquakes. The media (which normally has fairly sensationalist tendencies) was predicting huge earthquakes, and some people slept outside their homes several nights for fear of more activity. Hospitals were evacuated and the media reported anything that would make this seem worse. Most recently, there was report of a 16 meter (52.5 foot) drop in the water level of Lake Managua, which may or may not be true. Semana Santa is normally a week when everyone in Managua goes to the beach, but this past weekend the beaches were empty!
We are not living in fear. Although we seem to be imagining small tremors more than normal (only some of which are real), we know and trust in God who is our protector and provider. Please pray for people who were legitimately affected by these earthquakes -- those who lost their homes or had significant damage. We are grateful that there were no deaths directly resulting from earthquake damage. We also know that God can use events like this to draw more people into a saving relationship with Him!
