Earthquake swarm

We learned a new term last Saturday. What apparently happened, where a succession of tremors was felt in Luzon, is termed an "earthquake swarm". Mother Nature seems to be lecturing us on what can happen. We learned about a storm surge during Yolanda. Now this. According to Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum, this occurs when the fault line continues to move in small magnitudes. In other words, it has not finished settling down to its new position, which is why we have a succession of earthquakes with smaller or weaker magnitudes. Nonetheless, the tremors sent people scurrying out of their homes and buildings, especially in Batangas where the epicenter was located. It was only last Tuesday when Batangas was rocked by tremors. It seems the earth isn't done yet. Declaring a state of calamity is now being contemplated by the provincial government. There is damage to buildings and other structures, although no deaths have been reported. Solidum has assured everyone that all these are not unusual, citing the nature of earthquake swarms. Still, there is nothing more unsettling than the earth shaking beneath you. 

Talk is now rife regarding the so-called "Big One", thinking the successive quakes are an ominous sign. But in reality, earthquakes cannot be predicted. There is no foolproof way to know when and where a quake will hit. We can identify the fault lines. The Batangas quake originated from an unnamed local fault line. But anyone claiming to know when an earthquake will hit must be treated with skepticism. What is important is to prepare, which is all anyone can do. The government conducts earthquake drills on regular intervals. People are told to "duck, cover, and hold".

It is also good to have an emergency bag ready at all times. The bag should contain enough water for several days, canned food with flip-top access, a flashlight, batteries, and a radio. A First Aid kit would do well, along with a good utility knife. Unlike a typhoon that you know is coming and therefore make the necessary preparations, an earthquake will catch you off-guard. The important thing is to know what to do. But I have to admit, when the earth started shaking last Saturday, I actually froze. Not good. Perhaps I need more earthquake drills.

Spreading text messages regarding a coming earthquake is not only irresponsible, I believe it is criminal in nature. There are those who just love to spread these things. There should be a way to pinpoint the origins of such messages, and prosecute the perpetrators. Everyone is on edge, after experiencing successive tremors in a span of a few days. Hopefully the coming Holy Week holiday will calm everyone down. Maybe we can all properly reflect on the true significance of the Holy Week.

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