Earthquake hits Bohol

[jadegil6]

The death toll from the quake has risen to 222 people, and many more are injured. Thousands of buildings were reduced to rubble and twisted metal. An estimated 500,000 families are displaced or affected, and many more families are living in makeshift tents in open areas because of fear of the aftershocks.
Travel remains a challenge on the island of Bohol due to impassable roads and interrupted communication services. Although airports and seaports in Bohol and Cebu City are operational, on-the-ground communication, transportation and emergency relief efforts have been hampered. Volunteers are distributing food, water and medicine to affected families, and others are supporting these effort by collecting supplies and supplying off-road vehicles to navigate the debris.

[jadegil6]

The Bohol earthquake which struck on October 15, 2013 at 8:13 AM was the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 years. The toll now stands at 222 dead, 8 missing, and 976 people injured. In addition to the human toll, more than 70 thousand structures in Bohol and Cebu were damaged or destroyed.
Initially it was thought that the epicenter was near Baliliphan, Bohol. Later it was thought it was 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Carmen, Bohol. But now, according to PHIVOLCS, the earthquake may have been caused by a previously undiscovered fault line (blind fault) transecting Bohol running ENE-WSW parallel to the island's northwest coast. This became apparent in the pattern of epicenters of the subsequent aftershocks. On October 20, 2013, a team of state volcanologists had discovered the theorized new fault (now named North Bohol Fault) in Inabanga, a town 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the epicenter. Vertical displacement, as much 3.0 m (10 feet), was noted in the landscape of the town. According to experts, the fault may be as much as 100 kilometres (62 mi) long. It was also noted that Bohol gained around 500 meters more of shoreline due to the quake. Surface ruptures ranging from 0.10 metres (3.9 in) to as high as 5 metres (16 ft) in vertical displacements were exposed in Barangay Anonang in Inabanga, Bohol. At one point where the fault intercepted a creek, there is now a waterfall that is over 8 feet high that did not exist before the quake.
In Bohol and Cebu combined, a more than 3.2 million people were affected by the quake. Out of the total number of affected, more than 368 thousand people were displaced. By far the most casualties and damages occurred in Bohol where 208 of the 222 deaths occurred. The town of Loon, had the largest number of fatalities. Approximately 67,400 residential houses in Bohol were damaged or destroyed, with the towns of Inabanga, Loon, Tubigon, Carmen, and Calape among the worst affected.

[jadegil6]

Now there is another calamity headed towards the Philippines, and is expected to pass over Bohol within the next 3 to 4 days. It is a typhoon named Haiyan, which is expected to turn into a Super Storm. Haiyan will be given the local name, Yolanda, and is projected to make landfall over the Leyte-Samar area on Friday afternoon with maximum sustained winds of 215 kph.
Bohol has been placed under red alert since most of the residents in the province are still suffering from the effects of the massive earthquake last month.
The provincial government of Bohol ordered the evacuation of villagers in areas that have been identified as danger zones. The provincial government is rushing the distribution of additional tents and other relief goods for those who are still staying in open spaces in makeshift tents. All municipal mayors are under orders to conduct preemptive evacuation of residents still staying near river banks and mountain slopes as the rains could trigger landslides and flooding. Since Monday, heavy rains spawned by Tropical Storm Wilma have hit the province, flooding several evacuation centers. This prevailing weather system is further aggravated by Haiyan which is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility today. The provincial government is doing all it can to at least mitigate the impact of the prevailing weather system on thousands of families displaced by the 7.2 magnitude quake, but needless to say, it is a tremendous challenge. Please continue to pray for the residents of the Philippines who once again are facing another deadly threat.

[Smiley]

This is truly a time to keep the good people of Bohol in our thoughts and prayers.This is really some bad news.Those winds will be holding at about 130mph! I have traveled that fast on a motorcycle(yeah,I`m like that sometimes ) and believe me,with the wind hitting you at that speed there is not much that you can do.
For kids and old folks,and sick people,living in makeshift shelter this will be a nightmare,I fear for their security.

[jadegil6]

The latest tracking I have seen has the eye passing over Bogo, Cebu (northern part) around 2 PM Friday (Philippine time). This is a monster storm, and there is going to be massive destruction and some loss of life. All we can do is to pray for them.

[jadegil6]

September 21, 2014

A series of earthquakes destroyed 17 houses and damaged 66 others Saturday in a southern Philippine town, slightly injuring three people, officials said.

A magnitude-5 quake, the strongest of the tremors that shook the area, caused most of the damage in one mountain village, said Eduardo Buenacosa, disaster officer of Makilala municipality in North Cotabato province.

Local officials were preventing residents of houses that were destroyed from returning home because of the danger of a collapse, he said.

He said three people were treated for bruises after they were hit by concrete fragments from collapsed walls.

Renato Solidum, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, said a similar series of small shallow tremors known as a "swarm" hit the same region several years ago and was caused by movements of a fault line. In some cases, a "swarm" precedes a major earthquake, he said.

Residents of the worst-hit mountain village of Luayon, where 45 houses were damaged and 15 destroyed, were celebrating its foundation day with a program at which provincial Gov. Emmylou Mendoza was a guest when the strongest earthquake struck, Buenacosa said.

"We felt the stage swaying," Mendoza told reporters. "We grabbed hold of our chairs and looked at each other. After about 10 seconds it was over and the program continued."

Buenacosa said officials stopped residents from returning home where concrete walls had cracked and collapsed. Two Protestant chapels and an empty daycare center were also damaged.

He said he was preparing breakfast when the first quake struck. The seismology institute recorded more than a dozen earthquakes striking minutes apart.

The Philippine archipelago lies in the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where earthquakes and volcanic activities are common. A magnitude-7.2 earthquake in central Bohol province killed 200 people last year.

[wayne208]

I will Pray for all those hurt in any way by this Earthquake .. Thank You Sir Michael for keeping The People living in the States up to Date on This .

[cheryz]

i hope and pray for there safetyness and to those who affected in the earthquake... im hoping that the government would be active with this kind of calamity that they been through now. im encouraging fellow christian people also to pray for the earthquake may not happen again like last year. so sad that many people is dying with this earthquake.

[angel]

Really scared what happening in our country now specially when mother nature is now getting fewer. Lets just pray for it and let God handle and offer to him what disaster may came to us. Let be thankful to those who are safe..