The earth is shaking

Puerto Rico shook three times in less than 10 minutes last Saturday during the early morning hours, a little after 2:00 a.m.

The first seismic activity happened at 2:06 a.m. with an intensity of 5.1 on the scale. The center was on Western Puerto Rico, but it was felt all throughout the Island. Three minutes later, another quake shook the Island, with an intensity of 5.3.  And then, just five minutes later, the earth shook one more time, but at a lesser intensity. However, all three of the earthquakes were felt throughout the Island.

I was awake when the earthquakes happened as were my mom and my youngest sister. We were talking in the kitchen when all of a sudden I felt dizzy and my sister was feeling nauseous. I told my mom that it was a different kind of dizziness as I felt it coming in waves and not constant as when I have a hypoglycemia episode.  But we just ignored it. I went to the bathroom and my mom comes running and knocking on the door asking if I had felt it. My reaction was: felt what? My sister, who was white as a paper, said the earthquake. Honestly, I didn't feel it while I was in the bathroom, but just as I was processing what they were saying to me, the whole house started to shake and the things that my mom has on top of the piano, started moving. I looked past the piano and I could see the tree swaying and then it hit me! My mom and sister got scared again, Pokey (our African Grey parrot) got scared and Eli woke up and started crying. My reaction was to run to the room to grab her. Just then it stopped shaking, but honestly, I couldn't stop. All I could think about was if there have been two in a row, there must be a bigger one coming right behind.

I tried going to bed, but all I could think of was how to react if another one came; what to do with Eli; how DH was far away in NJ still; and what if there was a big one. These events made me realize that many Puerto Ricans are not ready to face an earthquake. There is conflicting information of what to do in case of one. Also, many of us do not have first aid kits and emergency provisions like medicines, water, food for animals, and canned foods. Here is a link of what to do before,during and after an earthquake.

The best thing to do is to STAY INFORMED!