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Last Updated: Dec 29, 2011 - 2:18:31 AM |
Bahamian Theo Tsavoussis in front of the Palace of Money in Chile in February 2010 prior to the 8.8 earthquake.
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Local businessman, Theo Tsavoussis was finishing a week's vacation in Chile and was only one day away from returning to his home in The Bahamas when the devastating 8.8 earthquake hit and since displaced 1.5 million people.
Tsavoussis gives an account of his experience during the earthquake, "I was fast asleep on the second floor of a friend's house when the bed
began to shake. I sat up half asleep wondering what was going on. All of
a sudden the the entire house started to shake violently. We were in
the mountains and the sound was so loud and terrible, like thunder that
wouldn't stop."
"It finally dawned on me that it was an earthquake. I
jumped up and tried to walk, but it was impossible. The house was now
swaying back and forth about a foot each second. Every time I tried to
take a step my foot would land wrong. It was like trying to walk on the
deck of a boat in rough sees. I kept thinking that the roof was going to
cave in. I also kept thinking when would it stop? It had been
going now for almost three minutes (though it felt much longer). I made
it down the stairs and out the front door. What I saw was completely
surreal; everything was dancing," he continues.
"The shakes finally stopped, but soon after
started again, not so strong this time, and not as long. These
aftershocks went on all night and continued for days."
"I was
surprised to hear my cell phone ring about an hour after the quake. It
was a friend in the US who had heard on the radio that Chile had just
experienced an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. That was how we found out how
powerful it was. Five hundred times more powerful than the one
that hit Haiti!"
Airport area after the earthquake in Santiago Chile The airport was closed for 5 days. Photo: Theo Tsavoussis
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Surprisingly power did not go off during the
earthquake where I was (about 200 miles from the quake's epicenter) but about ten minutes after it stopped. Water and land lines
were also off when we checked in the morning."
"I was scheduled to
leave that day but knew the airport would be closed,and it remained closed for 5 days. I was flying American Airlines and your destination meant nothing, as there was only one line for each airline. For American the lineup was almost 500 people long, wrapping around buildings and down the street. A 5 hour check-in time was implemented. When we drove into Santiago thousands of people were camping in the airport parking lot trying to leave the country."
When asked if he would return to Chile, Tsavoussis replied, "Chile is a beautiful country and I have no qualms in returning."
Airport area in Santiago Chile after the 8.8 earthquake Thousands waited 5 days for the airport to reopen. Photo: Theo Tsavoussis
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Airport area in Santiago Chile where many people had to camp out in the parking lot waiting for outbound flights Photo: Theo Tsavoussis
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Flight information after the airport in Santiago Chile was closed for 5 days Photo: Theo Tsavoussis
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