And Then We Had an Earthquake…

I have a story to tell about earthquakes here in the Philippines.

“Earthquakes here are a regular occurrence, though most are just slight tremors. After they have passed, a frightened bystander may ask, “Did you feel that?” (the inference being if you have to ask, it wasn’t very strong). During our fifteen years residing in Mindanao, we have experienced many quakes, which can occur any time of the day or night. But few ever gave us cause for concern.

Over the years, I have gained considerable insight into earthquakes … not that I wanted any real-life experience. Most quakes start with minor tremors that quickly grow in intensity. Most stay moderate and level out after a few seconds before fading away. Of course, with all tremors, there is no way to tell if the shaking will quickly stop, or rapidly grow into a monster that wants to level your building.

If you are inside a building during an earthquake, at what point should you attempt to exit? Remember, after you feel that first slight tremor, you probably have less than 10 seconds to run outside. Would the same advice apply if you were on the first floor versus the 30th floor? At what point during the quake, as its intensity increases, would you know it’s time to leave? When you feel the first tremor, or after the third or fourth?

In earthquake-prone areas, where numerous temblors occur each week, I don’t believe it’s practical to flee a structure the moment you feel a tremor or even a number of them. In buildings with more than two floors, if you are not on ground level, you would probably not have time to evacuate before the full force of the quake hit.

So, if you happened to be in a building during an earthquake, what do the supposed experts recommend is your best course of action? Having read their sage advice, the following sums it up.

Don’t try running during an intense quake, for most likely you will fall. Drop and cover your head and neck with your arms, and shelter under a strong table or desk. If no sturdy object is available, crawl next to an interior wall with no windows. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as light fixtures or furniture. Stairways are not safe during an earthquake; thus, don’t be on stairs or under them. Though we’ve all been advised to shelter in doorways, avoid them at all costs.

Will this advice really make any difference between life and death in a severe quake? During minor quakes, it wouldn’t hurt to take these actions, and they might actually help. But sadly, if you’re experiencing a quake with a magnitude sufficient to bring a building down, you’d best rely on the power of prayer. Pray with all your might to the God of Creation, that He may shelter you under His wings.

On the evening of February 10, 2017, a 6.7 earthquake shook our island. Its epicenter was 80 miles north of us in Surigao City. There, the city lost power, at least six people lost their lives, and many structures were damaged (including a bridge that collapsed). Abject fear gripped the metropolis as numerous aftershocks were felt. Here, the damage was slight, despite finding it hard to stand while our building groaned and creaked as it rocked back and forth. The temblor lasted a long half minute and was one of the strongest I had felt up to that time. Six years later, another even bigger quake took place, one in which I truly thought our building would be leveled.

Slight tremors are not unexpected, and generally we don’t have more than two or three during any given week. Nevertheless, there is an exception to that rule: after a large earthquake there are always aftershocks, some almost as strong as the quake that spawned them. And those aftershocks can continue for hours or days and sometimes much longer. The ground is at rest one moment, but when the tremors start, within 5 to 10 seconds that trivial shake could reach 6.0 or more in intensity. One of the many quakes we’ve experienced began with a weak tremor which, two seconds later, was followed by a huge jolt (as if King Kong employed his full strength to give our building one shake), followed by a few slight tremors, and it was over.

On December 2, 2023, an earthquake measuring 7.6 struck our island at 10:37 in the evening. The epicenter was 40 miles from our apartment. I don’t know how quickly this quake built to its peak, for it was already going full tilt when I woke. Still groggy, my first thought was, why are my son and a group of his friends using my bed for a trampoline?

I was fully awake when Sam yelled, “Dad! Dad!” as he made for the stairs on his way out. Some coconuts reposing on our steps also decided to head for the door as Sam was descending. A few hit him in the legs, but he wasn’t hurt as he made it outside.

After I woke, the lights were on for a few seconds before the power went out. Darkness during a quake makes the event that much more terrifying. I saw nothing, but heard our belongings hitting the floor, glass breaking, a loud crash from somewhere, then another from somewhere else in the apartment. The creaking and groaning coming from the walls of our building were unnerving. I was filled with dread. Can it get worse? When will it stop? Mercifully, the ordeal ended after a minute or so, but felt a whole lot longer.

As the building shook, I prayed it would stay in one piece; it was that bad. That was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. We’ve had many other quakes in the past, but this one was on a whole different level. It was so fearsome and so severe, our move to ground level seemed imminent. It was so violent; you couldn’t stand without holding onto something.
The tremors, which included four intense aftershocks, continued for about five hours. The following morning at 4:02 there was a 6.5 aftershock. After that, we had tremors every 15 or 20 minutes for much of the day … it seemed the ground never stopped shaking. The shakes and tremors continued for four days. With each stress-filled day, we never knew which temblor would trigger the next catastrophe.

When the ground finally stopped shaking, we found a few of our more expensive items had new resting places. One desk computer and two monitors now lay prone on the floor, amidst an impressive amount of shattered glass from fallen picture frames. Fortunately, our apartment was not damaged, but a lot of the businesses we frequent here in San Francisco sustained considerable losses. To the best of my knowledge, no buildings collapsed, but stores filled with breakable items—glassware and such—lost most of their stock.

I have a friend that lived in California for much of his life, but now abides in the Philippines. He bought a small island, aptly named Rock Island. It sits in the middle of an unnamed bay about a mile from the shore. Nevertheless, it seems he still hasn’t gotten away from the Earth shaking up his plans. While in California, he experienced three large quakes, and was close to the epicenter of each one. However, his home was far from the damaging effects of the quakes. This time, his luck ran out. When the quake struck on December 2, he was a perilously close 10 miles from the epicenter. Consequently, his resort suffered $20,000 to $30,000 in damages. Surprisingly, his location was spared any flooding from the bay, which would have made the situation infinitely worse.

This last series of tremors and quakes are more than I have experienced in the last 15 years living in the Philippines. I pray that these terrifying episodes are over for many years to come.
Now it’s time for lunch at Shakey’s Pizza, the perfect place to reminisce over earthquakes, and thank the Lord He preserved our lives.”

“7,000 Miles of Life Perspectives A Memoir”

Elder Mike

4 comments on “And Then We Had an Earthquake…”

eldermike547@yahoocom says:

August 3, 2025 at 5:41 pm

I have a story to tell about earthquakes here in the Philippines.

“Earthquakes here are a regular occurrence, though most are just slight tremors. After they have passed, a frightened bystander may ask, “Did you feel that?” (the inference being if you have to ask, it wasn’t very strong). During our fifteen years residing in Mindanao, we have experienced many quakes, which can occur any time of the day or night. But few ever gave us cause for concern.

Over the years, I have gained considerable insight into earthquakes … not that I wanted any real-life experience. Most quakes start with minor tremors that quickly grow in intensity. Most stay moderate and level out after a few seconds before fading away. Of course, with all tremors, there is no way to tell if the shaking will quickly stop, or rapidly grow into a monster that wants to level your building.

If you are inside a building during an earthquake, at what point should you attempt to exit? Remember, after you feel that first slight tremor, you probably have less than 10 seconds to run outside. Would the same advice apply if you were on the first floor versus the 30th floor? At what point during the quake, as its intensity increases, would you know it’s time to leave? When you feel the first tremor, or after the third or fourth?

In earthquake-prone areas, where numerous temblors occur each week, I don’t believe it’s practical to flee a structure the moment you feel a tremor or even a number of them. In buildings with more than two floors, if you are not on ground level, you would probably not have time to evacuate before the full force of the quake hit.

So, if you happened to be in a building during an earthquake, what do the supposed experts recommend is your best course of action? Having read their sage advice, the following sums it up.

Don’t try running during an intense quake, for most likely you will fall. Drop and cover your head and neck with your arms, and shelter under a strong table or desk. If no sturdy object is available, crawl next to an interior wall with no windows. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as light fixtures or furniture. Stairways are not safe during an earthquake; thus, don’t be on stairs or under them. Though we’ve all been advised to shelter in doorways, avoid them at all costs.

Will this advice really make any difference between life and death in a severe quake? During minor quakes, it wouldn’t hurt to take these actions, and they might actually help. But sadly, if you’re experiencing a quake with a magnitude sufficient to bring a building down, you’d best rely on the power of prayer. Pray with all your might to the God of Creation, that He may shelter you under His wings.

On the evening of February 10, 2017, a 6.7 earthquake shook our island. Its epicenter was 80 miles north of us in Surigao City. There, the city lost power, at least six people lost their lives, and many structures were damaged (including a bridge that collapsed). Abject fear gripped the metropolis as numerous aftershocks were felt. Here, the damage was slight, despite finding it hard to stand while our building groaned and creaked as it rocked back and forth. The temblor lasted a long half minute and was one of the strongest I had felt up to that time. Six years later, another even bigger quake took place, one in which I truly thought our building would be leveled.

Slight tremors are not unexpected, and generally we don’t have more than two or three during any given week. Nevertheless, there is an exception to that rule: after a large earthquake there are always aftershocks, some almost as strong as the quake that spawned them. And those aftershocks can continue for hours or days and sometimes much longer. The ground is at rest one moment, but when the tremors start, within 5 to 10 seconds that trivial shake could reach 6.0 or more in intensity. One of the many quakes we’ve experienced began with a weak tremor which, two seconds later, was followed by a huge jolt (as if King Kong employed his full strength to give our building one shake), followed by a few slight tremors, and it was over.

On December 2, 2023, an earthquake measuring 7.6 struck our island at 10:37 in the evening. The epicenter was 40 miles from our apartment. I don’t know how quickly this quake built to its peak, for it was already going full tilt when I woke. Still groggy, my first thought was, why are my son and a group of his friends using my bed for a trampoline?

I was fully awake when Sam yelled, “Dad! Dad!” as he made for the stairs on his way out. Some coconuts reposing on our steps also decided to head for the door as Sam was descending. A few hit him in the legs, but he wasn’t hurt as he made it outside.

After I woke, the lights were on for a few seconds before the power went out. Darkness during a quake makes the event that much more terrifying. I saw nothing, but heard our belongings hitting the floor, glass breaking, a loud crash from somewhere, then another from somewhere else in the apartment. The creaking and groaning coming from the walls of our building were unnerving. I was filled with dread. Can it get worse? When will it stop? Mercifully, the ordeal ended after a minute or so, but felt a whole lot longer.

As the building shook, I prayed it would stay in one piece; it was that bad. That was the scariest thing I have ever experienced. We’ve had many other quakes in the past, but this one was on a whole different level. It was so fearsome and so severe, our move to ground level seemed imminent. It was so violent; you couldn’t stand without holding onto something.
The tremors, which included four intense aftershocks, continued for about five hours. The following morning at 4:02 there was a 6.5 aftershock. After that, we had tremors every 15 or 20 minutes for much of the day … it seemed the ground never stopped shaking. The shakes and tremors continued for four days. With each stress-filled day, we never knew which temblor would trigger the next catastrophe.

When the ground finally stopped shaking, we found a few of our more expensive items had new resting places. One desk computer and two monitors now lay prone on the floor, amidst an impressive amount of shattered glass from fallen picture frames. Fortunately, our apartment was not damaged, but a lot of the businesses we frequent here in San Francisco sustained considerable losses. To the best of my knowledge, no buildings collapsed, but stores filled with breakable items—glassware and such—lost most of their stock.

I have a friend that lived in California for much of his life, but now abides in the Philippines. He bought a small island, aptly named Rock Island. It sits in the middle of an unnamed bay about a mile from the shore. Nevertheless, it seems he still hasn’t gotten away from the Earth shaking up his plans. While in California, he experienced three large quakes, and was close to the epicenter of each one. However, his home was far from the damaging effects of the quakes. This time, his luck ran out. When the quake struck on December 2, he was a perilously close 10 miles from the epicenter. Consequently, his resort suffered $20,000 to $30,000 in damages. Surprisingly, his location was spared any flooding from the bay, which would have made the situation infinitely worse.

This last series of tremors and quakes are more than I have experienced in the last 15 years living in the Philippines. I pray that these terrifying episodes are over for many years to come.
Now it’s time for lunch at Shakey’s Pizza, the perfect place to reminisce over earthquakes, and thank the Lord He preserved our lives.”

“7,000 Miles of Life Perspectives A Memoir”

Elder Mike

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1. leeduigon says:
  
  August 4, 2025 at 9:25 am
  
  Holy moly–we just get little-bitty tremors in New Jersey.
  
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unknowable2 says:

August 3, 2025 at 9:39 pm

In Hasbrouck Heights, of all places. Burt Bacharach wrote a song about that place.

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1. leeduigon says:
  
  August 4, 2025 at 9:28 am
  
  We had one in Keyport, years ago.
  
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