I'm an information officer for Catholic Relief Services in Asia. This past month, we've had our hands full keeping up with the string of natural disasters that has hit the region. From my home base in Cambodia, I was sent to the Philippines to cover our response to severe flooding; then an earthquake hit Sumatra - one of the islands that make up Indonesia, so I caught a plane to Padang, the city closet to the quake's epicenter.
I was new to extreme quake damage - its dangers and surprises. The first week of any emergency is usually the toughest; I've recorded my impressions of the experience.
The first sign of trouble is at the airport in Padang, Indonesia: there's no water in the bathrooms; only big trash cans full of water outside their doors. I skirt the pungent restrooms and grab a taxi.
Driving through the dark - most of the city doesn't have electricity - it's hard to tell that a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck three days ago. The outlines of the buildings look pretty normal, except for, say, every tenth building, which has collapsed. But as we cross a bridge I see an unsettling gash in the pavement. My unspoken question - This thing is stable, right? - will occur with increasing frequency as the days pass.
- Laura Sheahen
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