Chile Forum

This is to wish good luck to all of those people in this forum who have just moved or are about to move to Chile. This kinda of thing is par for the course and hopefully everything should be restored to normal in a few months. Do not let it discourage you from making Chile your new home!

My only consolation is that considering that magnitude of the damn thing, only 300 or so dead is not so bad! Credit should be given to the strict building codes implemented in Chile many years ago. If a quake of this magnitude had hit anywhere else in the world, the level of devastation would be much, much greater!

Thank you so much for this mauricio! We are moving in May with 3 small children and this definately scared me. My huband not so much....but thank you for your encouragement! We love Chile and are looking forward to the move.

My heart is heavy for everyone who went through this terrifiying event. I am so thankful that the death toll was held to around 300! WaY to go building codes!

I was planning to move and nothing changed my mind. I'm still planning to move.

We are spending time with a family who arrived two weeks ago and they are still keen to stay.

Thanks for the good wishes. We've still new - been here about 5 weeks now. Haven't even thought about going home, we've been really impressed with how things have turned out in Vina. It was scary, but our building held out well. We don't really know anyone here yet, but our neighbours have been lovely. And things were back up and running really quickly - collectivos, micros, small shops all opening really fast, the feria on the Marga-Marga was still on yesterday morning so we have plenty of food, we got water at Santa Isabel. The biggest worry yesterday was ringing our family at home, which we did from a centro de llamadas when their lines came back up in the afternoon. We got our power, water and internet back at about 7 last night. No gas yet.

But it did help that we'd beeen starting to put together an emergency kit. We're glad to be in our rented flat and not a hotel. It was lucky that we'd bought a few bottles of water and a gas stove last week before all this. If we'd literally just arrived, or been elsewhere, it would have been a different story. I can't believe what we're seeing on TV from the South.

We were suppose to be flying for a previsit on Friday night arriving Saturday morning but we changed our flights so that we could watch Canada fight for Gold in the Olympic hockey. We had changed our flight to this Monday but that has since been cancelled.

Does anyone know the likelihood the airports will be opened next week - we need to get a visit in berfore we move in April. I am conflicted because I am really excited to move to Chile but I feel like the universe is telling me differently. I am however thankful that the death toll has been less than one would expect for an earthquake of this magnitude.

We are planning to live in La Dehesa in Santiago - any news of damage there?

Kind regards

With the roses come the thorns. Our prayers go to the Chilenos injured or affected by this disaster, and we wish them a speedy recovery. There are many good people down there and I'm sure they will rebuild it all better than before.

Those of us that live on the west coast of the USA are part of the "ring of fire" that borders most nations on the Pacific Ocean. we are ALL at risk for an event similar to what struck Chile. Here near Portland,Oregon, there is a history of quakes in the 9.0 region. they strike about every 300 years or so, and the last one was in 1700

I was considering moving to the vicinity of the earth quake area in Chile. Any home I buy someday would have been "quake tested". If it survived this one, it was built well.

I am very impressed with how Chile is coping with this event.

JvG wrote:I am very impressed with how Chile is coping with this event.

I completely agree. Where in Portland are you? We live just across the river, in Camas, WA.

I had permanently moved to Santiago for Med School 3 days before the quake.... I've never been in one before, so I thought it was just a tremor, but when it didnt stop i got a little concerned then it got intense...Grabbed my chihuahua and stood under the doorway. Just moved from Florida...

I knew a big one was due soon since its been roughly 20 years between big quakes... I dont regret moving here though, I know the buildings are built well. Nothing happened to our apartment buildings here in Las Condes luckily.

I wish the best of luck to those who buildings didnt hold up well and heart goes out to those who lost loved ones..

Price4

I lived in La Dehesa before I left Chile 22 years ago and the house I lived in DID go through the 1985 earthquake which was also pretty bad. Most houses in the area are either new and/or pretty strong built. It's relatively "safe" -if there is such a thing- when it comes to earthquakes. I have been through 3 major quakes in Chile in my life - although I only remember 2 - but still want to go back to live, albeit in the south.

You'll be just fine AND[b]happy once you make the move.

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On the positive side, the new people who have moved to Chile shall probably get to experience the togetherness & helpfulness of Chileans...