Natural Disasters

As if my parents weren’t worried enough about me living in South America for four and a half months, the recent natural disasters definitely aren’t putting their minds at ease! Within the last month, there has been the 8.2 magnitude earthquake in Iquique, which triggered a tsunami, as well as the devastating fires in Valparaiso. Fortunately for me and the people of Santiago, Iquique is approximately 1,100 miles north of the city. That’s a 33-hour drive or a 3-hour flight. Even if it were closer, the earthquake took place off the coast and Santiago is very much inland. I was lucky that I wasn't affected but nearly a million Chileans were evacuated from their homes as well as some regions on the Peruvian coast. 

Aftermath of the Earthquake

Aftermath of the Earthquake

            The fires of Valparaiso occurred more recently and definitely hit closer to home. Valparaiso is only 75 miles away, which is about a 2-hour drive. Santiago wasn’t affected directly – there were no signs of danger or smoke anywhere in sight. But it did affect Santiago in the fact that many people from the city have their summer homes in Valparaiso, or in its neighboring town, Viña del Mar. Many people have friends or family that live there full time. There are much closer ties between the two communities and I think the people of Santiago felt a much stronger sense of loyalty and responsibility to help in comparison to Iquique. Obviously the people of Santiago felt terribly and were just as scared after the earthquake in Iquique (especially since Santiago had the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in 2010) but I definitely saw a noticeable difference in reactions when there was a bigger distance between the cities. The fire destroyed almost 3,000 homes and required more than 10,000 to evacuate. The people of Santiago really stepped up and came together to gather supplies and monetary donations that people brought in person to help with the relief efforts. It was a really beautiful thing to see people in the streets, in the metro and all around college campus’s all asking for donations which were then brought to Valparaiso.

The fire during its height

Aftermath of the fires - Torched hills with nothing left behind

            I feel incredibly grateful to have been able to experience both Valparaiso and Viña del Mar prior to this horrific tragedy. Kyle and I were even lucky enough to go twice! The city of Valparaiso was beautiful – just like in all the pictures – full of colorful homes perched on hills and old fashioned elevators carrying people to the top, looking out onto the Pacific Ocean. It’ll take years to rebuild the city but the people who lost their homes are all fighters. In multiple interviews they were quoted saying that they’re not worried, they’ll be okay, and everything will be back to normal soon. It was very inspiring. I have my fingers crossed that Chile has run out of their bad luck and the country has only good things to come!