So things were a little interesting here in Cayman yesterday. I was in our Training Room on the ground floor when a little after 2pm (2:10p according to official reports) everything began moving. Not Hollywood style, more subtely. My mind flipped to August 2011 when I was in a similar space in Boston, MA. That time, I thought it was me having a medical problem. I actually thought I was going to pass out, when the woman next to me put her hand on my shoulder and announced in a Southern accent, “honey, I think I’m about to pass out.” I realized it wasn’t me, at which point someone else yelled out “earthquake!”
This time, even though my mind was fighting the thought, I realized immediately this was an earthquake. I began wondering about the stability of the building I was in and assessing potential safe spots. There were some desks that I decided I’d crawl under if things really came apart. After about 30 seconds, although the ground was definitely still moving, I felt it was calm enough for me to get outside. I moved to the door and made my way outside where I found many others had already gone. I called my wife to see if she was okay, it took several attempts as phone lines were jammed up. She was driving when it happened and thought she had blown a tire, in her mind, that explained why the car was shaking. It wasn’t until after she got out and saw water bubbling up from drain pipes and others running out of buildings that she realized something else was going on. When I called to see if she was okay, it all clicked.
From there I went to our offices on the 2nd floor to find out what I could and see how I could help. I decided the most current information would likely be the Cayman Islands Hazard Management Facebook page. From there I discovered it was a 7.3 Magnitude (later upgraded to a 7.7 Magnitude) earthquake, the epicenter was underwater about 160 miles east of Grand Cayman. It had been less than 10 minutes but social media was already buzzing with colleagues showing me photos and video being posted on Instagram and Facebook.
I called my wife again and we decided she should come to the hospital. I tried looking for my boss to see if he needed anything. I couldn’t find him but it seemed there were two sets of people, some who didn’t know what to do, and others who were executing a plan. I didn’t know how to help either so I moved to our EMS office. My thought was, I’m a paramedic and they may be getting calls for help, overwhelming their ability to respond. Maybe I can help out there a bit. I made contact with our acting manager (our actual manager is on vacation), and discovered they did need help, he asked if I could staff an ambulance. I happily agreed. We quickly put together a quasi-ALS unit and after another paramedic arrived, we began responding to calls.
Phone lines were still tied up so it took several attempts but I finally got back in touch with my wife. In the time since we last spoke, maybe 20 minutes, a tsunami warning had been declared and residents were urged to move to higher ground. Higher ground in Cayman is a bit of a misnomer, the island itself is a peak of an underwater mountain, we’re literally on the high ground. But as she was already moving to the hospital, it made sense for her to just keep coming here. The hospital had evacuated patients and staff to the 2nd floor (it’s only a 2-story hospital) and it was probably one of the sturdiest and safest places to be.
Traffic was jammed up. Everyone decided to leave work and get on the roads. Sinkholes had developed and several cars had been swallowed up. Water mains had busted and some roads were slick. Having lights and sirens helped but it was still a mess trying to negotiate what felt like every resident of Cayman driving at the same time.
A little less than 2 hours after the initial quake, the all clear was sent out indicating we were free from any threat of tsunami. At this point the roads had cleared and the government had a better grasp of the situation. Aftershocks were still felt throughout the afternoon and evening. We got home to discover our water had been shut off, a reasonable precaution (the water is still off as I write this, almost 18 hours following the quake). We keep a stash of bottled water for emergencies but you forget how convenient running water is until you lose it.
Some things to remember for next time. Knowing we’re surrounded by water, one of my first thoughts after realizing it was an earthquake was we’re at risk of tsunami. The risk is low, partly due to the shape of the island. As we are the peak of a mountain, there isn’t much time for water to build. A tsunami is dangerous because as it gradually hits land, the energy pushes the water higher and faster. In Cayman, the drop-offs here are steep. Swim 100 yards off shore and you can look over the edge for thousands of feet. As it makes for some great scuba and free diving, it also protects us from a tsunami being able to build quickly, at least that’s what I’ve been told. Point is, I didn’t want to spook my wife when I first talked with her. In retrospect, that may not have been the best idea. Traffic built quickly and I should’ve told her to come to the hospital straight away.
Social media is a useful tool. I was able to broadcast out to friends and family what was going on and I was able to quickly get information from reputable sources. Additionally, I resorted to texting as phone lines were constantly tied up. Text messages were faster and easier. I also keep a small medic bag in my car. But due to there being sinkholes in the parking lot where my car was, I couldn’t get to it. I didn’t really need it in this case but it was a good learning experience.
Having a supply of bottled water is wicked crucial. You never know when an emergency will strike. Living in the Caribbean, my thought is always hurricanes. An earthquake disrupting life was low on my radar. But, we rode out the storm since we were prepared.
