8.8 Earthquake Hits Chile

by James Buchanan

A massive 8.8 earthquake hit the nation of Chile very early in the morning Saturday. This is the seventh worst earthquake on record, and very close in magnitude to the 1964 Alaska earthquake which killed people in Crescent City, California with a tsunami, thousands of miles away. Reports from CNN note that 47 people have died so far, and the death toll is likely to go much higher.

An article on Fox News reports “A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake capable of tremendous damage struck central Chile early Saturday, shaking the capital for a minute and a half and setting off a tsunami. Buildings collapsed and phone lines and electricity were down, making the extent of the damage difficult to determine… ‘We have had a huge earthquake,’ Bachelet said, speaking from an emergency response center in an appeal for Chileans to remain calm. ‘We’re doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately.’ Bachelet said early reports were that six people had been killed, and ‘without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths.’ ”

There are warnings of a tsunami, which is now heading for Central America and Hawaii and even Japan. A tsunami is a surface wave, which can travel thousands of miles. The 1964 Alaska Earthquake created a tsunami that struck the town of Crescent City, California, thousands of miles away. One report of that tsunami notes “On March 27, 1964, the Good Friday Earthquake off Anchorage, Alaska, set in motion local landslide tsunamis, as well as a trans-Pacific one that sped in three hours down the U.S. West Coast to the state of Washington. Destroying docks, boats, cars, coastal dwellings and surging up rivers with the same result, the tsunami continued down the coast. Within another 1½ hours, four waves struck over a two-hour period at Crescent City. When they had finished, 289 buildings and businesses had been destroyed; 1000 cars and 25 large fishing vessels crushed; 12 people were confirmed dead, over 100 were injured.”

CNN reports that tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii, California and Oregon as a result of the 8.8 quake in Chile.