Chilean authorities have already announced that a mega-thrust magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred offshore mid-day on Wednesday. It spared any damage or loss of life across their borders. The tremor, the strongest to hit the region since 2011, generated waves of approximately 60 centimeters (two feet) on Chile’s north coast. Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov confirmed a small increase in water levels. In some places, the water came ashore as much as 400 meters, even inundating a World War II memorial in the small town.
Almost immediately, the massive quake generated tsunami warnings around the entire Pacific Rim, resulting in widespread panic-evacuations. Temporary evacuees didn’t return home, millions returned home after authorities lifted the warnings. Aside from the damage of the two quakes themselves, the initial quake produced considerable peripheral damage and some limited serious light injury. In Chile, the crisis stayed manageable.
As it turned out, the aftermath was even more tragic in Japan. A mother of three died in a horrific crash when her self-driving car veered off a cliff. As of this writing, this was the only reported fatality associated with the earthquake. The Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan was evacuated as a precaution. In the wake of these changes, it was thankfully reported that no major incidents occurred at the facility.
Russian scientists reported increased volcanic activity in the region after the earthquake, with the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupting just a few days later. Observers reported red-hot lava cascading down its western slope, with a billowing glow and violent explosions shooting high above the volcano.
“Red-hot lava is observed flowing down the western slope. There is a powerful glow above the volcano and explosions,” – Russia’s Geophysical Survey.
That damage ended up hurting Russia the most. An enormous tsunami washed into the port of Severo-Kurilsk, flooding the town’s fish processing plant. State television footage showed buildings and debris swept into the sea, illustrating the impact of the natural disaster on local infrastructure.
In addition to the tsunami concerns, storm surges of up to four meters (12 feet) were predicted for certain areas of the Pacific. This created a perfect storm of fear and real threat of flooding and more destruction.
Moore said that despite these challenges, local residents started to settle back into routine life. Isabel Grijalva, a small business owner from one of the impacted areas, shared her relief and hopes for the long-term recovery.
“Everything is calm, I’m going back to work. The restaurants are reopening and the places tourists visit are also open again,” – Isabel Grijalva.
The interior ministry described the evacuation efforts as “perhaps the most massive evacuation ever carried out in our country.” The seamless response illustrates how ready local, state and federal authorities were to respond with natural disasters, like hurricanes.