Shakin' it up a bit!

Hey guys,

7:07 local time on a sunday morning, 6.6 eathquake (my first) shook the entire island chain. the Epicenter was 10-12 miles northwest of the Kona airport, near a beach I was at last weekend (see pictures of that beach and my new truck at www.bigislandsioux.blogspot.com). It was followed a few minutes later by a 5.4 or something wich I also felt. None of the quakes were strong enough to produce Tsunamis, but I guess there what some receding water in a few bays off Maui-indicating some pretty huge swell cooking.

To me, in Hilo, it felt like nothing more than standing near a train rumbling through GF near the Police station. The brunt of the damage and trouble caused by the quakes was on the west side of the Big Island and also in Honolulu. The roads on the west side are cut through the jagged lava fields, called a'a', and have many steep enbankments where the roads are cut through high rises left from past lava flows. Many of these crumbled as they shook, sending big boulders onto the roads. These are what the pictures of destruction on CNN and shitty Fox news were of. In Honolulu, on Oahu, the problem is more of too many people and the need for too much power and transportation, bathrooms and water that depend on electricity for pumps, etc.

My workday went on as normal (for a weekend) and the Hospital here did not have to go in to "disaster mode" but we did call our social workers in (uncharacteristic for a Sunday) to discharge many stable patients to make room for the 'emergent possibilities'. The Kona hospital (west Hawaii) suffered some internal cosmetic damage like ceiling tiles falling, so the moved patients to our hospital this afternoon with the help of the Coast Guard. This was only precautionary as the worst injuries from the quakes so far are minor cuts and some broken bones. It's amazing how quickly and effectively the civil defense department has reacted to this natural "disaster" by cleaning up road but still keeping them open and securing safe places in case of further quakes or land slides.

I met someone at 7-eleven who was at south point, the southernmost point in the US (on the south of Hawaii Island) and saw an entire seaside cliff fall into the ocean during the quake. Pretty cool to hear about but pretty scary to see I imagine. There are some roads that are closed so bridges can be assessed for any damage, but for the most part, the island is safe. There have been no deaths.

Most schools on the island of Hawaii are closed tomorrow for students but staff is on to assess damage. Life is pretty normal in Hilo, as we never lost power, but we are prepared to help any other parts of the state in need.

I'm sure there are a few nervous triathletes contemplating the possibility of another quake during a grueling bike ride or run along the coast where the quake was. The Ironman World Championships are this Saturday. I'm planning to drive up to Hawi (pronounced Havee) to see and cheer on the bike turnaround.

In conclusion, I'm in Hawaii, I'm alive, and life is good.