Chile Earthquake Aftershocks?

March 11, 2010

So, tell me when is an earthquake not an aftershock, but simply a new earthquake? If you are living in Chile it probably doesn’t matter. Chile’s new leader, Sebastian Pinera, had to have felt like he dodged the bullet when the massive 8.8 earthquake and tsunami hit Chile several weeks ago. But today, Thursday, March 11th, his day to be sworn in, he may yet get to sense what outgoing president Michelle Bachelet has been living.

For you see, on this day of Pinera’s inauguration Chile received a 7.2 jolt!

Billionaire Sebastian Pinera faces a difficult task with much of the country heavily damaged after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck on Feb. 27., but he seems upbeat about the challenge. He recently said, “We won’t be the government of the earthquake, we’ll be the government of reconstruction.” And he may need some of his billions if Chile keeps on rocking as it has for the last two weeks.

Two strong earthquakes shook central Chile Thursday, as dignitaries arrived for the inauguration of President-elect Sebastian Pinera. The effects and results of the latest shaking won’t be known for at least a day or so, but the Chilean Navy took precautions and issued a tsunami warning following the tremors.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the first quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.1 and the second registered at 7.2. Both rocked buildings in the capital, shook windows and provoked nervous smiles among dignitaries arriving for Thursday’s ceremony at the congressional building in coastal Valparaiso. Bolivian President Evo Morales seemed briefly disoriented. Peru’s Alan Garcia joked that it gave them “a moment to dance.”

It may not be a funny to the impoverished and home lesss.

And if the web bot linguistics is right, there are SIX more major earthquakes coming- two in the US of A. What we have been reading about we just might experience in 2010, not 2012!

Written by Ernie · Filed Under Daily Commentary