Hawaii Earthquake 6.6: it was scary!

It happened shortly after 7:00 am. I had just arrived from my morning run at 6:56. I know that this precisely because I asked one-armed Willy from southern California (Willy lost his left arm. I am sorry, but he called himself like this. I wouldn’t dare.) whom I ran with this morning. »We meet at breakfast«, I said and headed off to my room. Moritz, the dog who joined me on my run as well, followed me. He was thirsty and I remembered this macerated snale in his water bowl. This couldn’t be. I went back to the kitchen to fill it up with fresh water. Then I rushed to the bathroom, cloths off, and off into the shower. I was just bending over the bathtub to fine-tune the water temperature, the whole house started shaking. First I did not show any specific reaction. Damn, I thought, is there somebody doing some maintenance in the house, with a jack-hammer perhaps? It didn’t take me long to realize the stupidity of my thoughts. I grabed a towel and ran into the garden.

Willi and his wife Lindsay were already there. Lindsay with her hair foamed, a blanket around her naked body. Then Laura came out of the house, pale, but calm she said: »I almost got killed by the light construction in the kitchen. It all fell down.« Only later when Willy and I tried to move the wooden monster, I realized how incredible heavy this thing was. It was only screwed to the ceiling with ridiculous screws, no bolts. It had to come down.

There we were, 3 earthquake experienced Californians, and one rourke from Austria. We waited. They said, they had never in their lives experienced such a strong quake. Their guess was between 6 and 7. How correct they were! No one was panicking, no, we were joking observing the house in its process of adaption. After a while we went back inside, but the second wave just about to come, it was strong, I can tell you. We all ran out again. I don’t know how long we have been waiting outside when we finally went back into the house starting cleaning and joking… Electricity was gone, water supply cut… We gathered around the breakfats table drinking the meanwhile lukewarm coffe and eating home made muffins, applepie and delicious Hawaii fruits.

This morning we came very close to each other. Three strangers at 6:00 am, very familiar with each other at 9:00. This is what danger can positively achieve in a human creature. Its pushing you off the beaten path, gives you a kind of consciousness that feels good.

About the damage, and its consequences I am sure you will hear a lot on the news. We here wait and see, what is going to happen.
The big hotels in Kona with all the triathletes inside got evacuated, that’s what I heard. So, I am lucky to live in this wonderful quiete house made out of pine and cedar, a beam construction very fexible adapting to the moving earth, at least that’s my view. Its weak point »only« being this monstrous iron-wood-neonlight construction in the kitchen. Thank god it’s down!