Earthquake strikes Chile
By: Julia Emily Vaiano
The impacts of the devasting disaster:
On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, one million people were evacuated from their homes in Chile after a powerful earthquake struck the country’s central region. The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.3, and it struck Chile at 7:54 p.m. At least eleven people were confirmed to be killed in the disaster. According to a documented assessment from the U.S Geologic survey, the earthquake's epicenter was 54 kilometers from Illapel. Dozens of aftershocks occurred leading to additional damage. The earthquake caused costal evacuations and it even triggered tsunami warnings that extended from Arica to Puerto Asyen. Tsunami waves were observed along the Chilean coast, which was near the epicenter of the earthquake. According to the U.S National Tsunami Warning Center, a wave was recorded to measure more than fifteen meters high in Coquimbo Chile. It was also documented that Chile was flooded with water, and ninety-five percent of the city lost electric power.