We have a special guest in today's episode!! We'll discuss the effects of an earthquake and the challenges people face, and our guest will share her experience, too. You won't want to miss this one, so catch it!
Script
Hello everyone. Welcome back to Heather & Culture podcast, and I’m your host Heather. We’re continuing the topic, a devastating earthquake in Myanmar, we talked about in the last episode. Today, we’ve got a special guest joining us. She is one of the citizens who live through the earthquake. She is here to share her experience, the impact of the earthquake, and more discussion about it. So, stay with us. Let’s get into it and welcome Ms. Dionne.
Host: Hello Dionne, welcome and I’m delighted to have you in my show.
Guest: Thank you for having me today. I’m excited to have a conversation with you.
Host: Let’s start from the beginning, there was a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar, mainly Sagaing and Mandalay region, right?
Guest: Yes.
Host: So, where were you when the earthquake started to hit?
Guest: I was at home, actually. I just finished my shower, and I’m applying the lotion. (with laugh) At that moment, my skincare products suddenly fell down, and while I was wondering what happened, I felt the shaking. It got stronger, my house started shaking, and it didn’t stop right away.
Host: Ohh, it must’ve been frightening. What did you do at that moment?
Guest: I was frozen at first. Then, I moved to my bed. I know it wasn’t a good idea, but I didn’t know what to do honestly. I just sat down and waited until the shaking stopped.
Host: Yes, I understand it. I also felt the same because we didn’t have any experience of the earthquake with that amount of magnitude, right?
Guest: Yes, we didn’t.
Host: But we’re lucky that our place wasn’t in the epicenter. If it was, you must not stay in your house without cover, you should run away right before it starts if you have time to do so, just in 5 seconds. But I’m relieved to hear you’re safe.
Guest: Right! Thank you. My family and I were safe luckily, not everyone in the country wasn’t tho.
Host: Did any aftershocks continue in your area? If it did, can you count how many?
Guest: After the March 28 massive earthquake, I think there wasn’t any. But we felt shaking yesterday morning, April 13, around 9 a.m.There was a 5 magnitude aftershock earthquake near Meikhtila, so I think we were affected. Because it was just a light quake, some people didn’t even notice.
Host: Yes, that was the biggest aftershock since the 7.7 temblor. And I think it is a small blessing in the middle of everything because according to the reports, there have been more than 468 aftershocks in Myanmar, but you experienced a small one. However, even a small one makes people jumpy in these moments.
Guest: Right! It is not safe until now, and people are worrying. Some can’t sleep well since the aftershocks are threatening them. Geologist U Soe Thura Tun said that it would take approximately 3 months, they guessed. Because a 9 magnitude earthquake in Japan causes aftershocks for about one year, we still have to maintain consciousness.
Host: Yes, now it is raining again in earthquake affected areas, so the damaged buildings can collapse because of the rain. And people sheltering in the open got trouble when it rains. So, what kind of effects do you think an earthquake can result in?
Guest: According to the research, ground shaking, landslides, tsunamis, and fires can occur after the earthquake. But as you said, we’re having trouble in the rain. For mountain regions, seismologists guess that heavy rain in the monsoon season can lead to floods and landslides. So, it is better to prepare ahead of time also for aftershocks.
Host: That’s a good point! Is there anything you want to say to listeners?
Guest: Yes, I know it is a hard time for everyone, both physically and mentally. But we will get through it. Also, follow the instructions during an earthquake and watch the media updated. In this case, just trust reliable sources and avoid false information. I hope everyone is safe and strong in this era.
Host: Thanks for sharing all this, Dionne.
Guest: My pleasure. Thank you for inviting me to your show, Heather.
Thank you for tuning in, everyone. Also, a special thanks to our guest for sharing her experience and I hope we had a great discussion today. Stay safe and we’ll catch you in the next episode.
