Dixie's Post: 1/12/2010 (Earthquake Details)

3 January 2010 1:20 AM

At a few minutes before 5 PM on 12 January 2010, a large earthquake hit Haiti. The center was a few miles south of Port-au-Prince. On the map, it looks like we were not far from the center here at the orphanage if you draw a straight line between the center of the earthquake and the orphanage. We have heard that the gravel pit across the valley from us partially collapsed which we have worried about for a long time!
As things started to shake, I knew it was an earthquake and I jumped up trying to get out of my office. Items were falling off my bookcases and even the monitor of my computer fell off my desk! Many of my good glassware fell out of the hutch in the dining room and food that was being cooked for the children flew off the stove and landed on the kitchen floor! Statues fell off the shelves, items in the pantry fell too! But not 1 egg was broken out of 6 dozen sitting on the pantry floor! Kids fell, staff fell to the floor because the house swayed so much!

Dr. Claude was out in the driveway playing basketball and he said that the orphanage swayed about 2 feet back and forth for 30 to 40 seconds! he was afraid that the building would fall! Thankfully, the building stayed standing and John cannot find any cracks in the walls which is pretty amazing!

All I could do was pray that the house would stay standing! John was yelling at us all to get in a doorway, but we could not walk! Finally we got into the doorway and stayed until the major shaking stopped. Everyone went outside after the earthquake. We had multiple tremors after the big one. They came about 10 minutes apart and last a long time! the staff refused to return to the house and eventually, we brought all of the children outside and put blankets on the ground.

The internet phone has not stopped ringing. BBC, NBC, the Today Show all have called multiple times! It is 1:45 AM now and they are still calling! I am so exhausted but we do not want to go to bed. The nannies came in at 10 PM but we had two strong after shocks about midnight and the nannies and babies are sleeping outside on the ground on blankets! It is cold tonight. The temperature is about 60 degrees if not colder! I pray that the cold is not too cold for them!

My son, Mark, was at school in Port-au-Prince when the quake happened. His school is on Delmas which is one of the worst hit areas. A missionary family finally was able to bring him home about 10 PM. They said that there were multiple houses down that you could see from the street. Caribbean Market was destroyed along with so many other buldings! Walls were collapsed and there are dead people lying under them! Please pray for Haiti and for all of who are here! We had 8 visitors come today. What a welcome, huh?

We continue to have aftershocks. We have had 3 in the last 5 minutes! I have never heard of aftershocks like we are having! They are almost continuous and lasting for a minute or more each time! I do not like this!

We will know more hopefully in the morning. I do not know if I will sleep tonight or not! I will post photos later on Wedneday. I am just too tired right now to post photos!