▫▫ Earthquake Reports ▫▫

[XanaduRanch]

Geez, guys. Sorry this has disturbed you in that way. I know I'll never forget those few seconds, they are burned into my brain forever. I felt a little strange the first night but still fell asleep in 15 minutes. Since then no problems.

You might try buying a nice noisy little floor fan for the bedroom. The background noise is very soothing and it drowns out the noise of a car or dog barking, etc. Personally I have alwyas had a hard time sleeping if it's too totally quiet. Every little noise bothers me. Try it, just might do the trick.

Tom (aka XR)

[Linda Stapleton]

I feel for you guys and am now a bit ashamed that I actually found the experience interesting, nothing more, but I thank God that in Cabarete it was obviously much less severe than in some other areas.

However, back to the problems many of you are experiencing. First of all, it is perfectly normal that you should be anxious and hyper-vigilant when certain things trigger memories of the actual event, also that to some extent you should find yourselves reliving it, feeling as though it is actually reoccurring, not just experiencing memories of it. If you can get to sleep, it is also normal to have nightmares of the situation. These are all very healthy ways of the mind trying to make sense of something which was way outside your range of usual experience and which was perceived of as a life threatening situation. It doesn't matter whether or not the risk was actually that great, if you experienced it as such at the time, then it is not surprising that you should be feeling the way you are now. Following a trauma, these feelings and symptoms may continue for some days or weeks, hopefully lessening in intensity as time passes. However, if they get worse, or if you have no relief whatsoever after perhaps a month at the most, then it may be wise to seek some professional help. It is at around this stage that normal post trauma stress can develop into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is much harder to treat if left for too long.

What you are doing here, in sharing your experiences and honest feelings with others who have been through similar experiences, is one of the best ways of exorcising the ghosts. Talk about it for as long and as often as you feel the need to. No room for "stiff upper lip" stuff here. It's all extremely helpful. During this time, take extra physical care of yourselves. You may find that you become more accident prone. Try to get as much rest, exercise and decent nutrition as you can and, whilst we may joke about it, try not to resort to drinking excessively or turning to drugs that are not prescribed for this.

There are a number of techniques which can be very effective in dealing with this, but it is too long since I practiced in this field to feel confident in giving more than these pretty common sense suggestions here. Talking, or writing, really is one of the simplest and most effective cures in this kind of situation.

[Peter & Alex]

CNN actually ran a small scrolling banner by-line regarding the fact that a 6.5 quake had occurred in the DR for a few hours on the morning after. No other recognition of the fact we'd experienced this!

[XanaduRanch]

Anybody else having peeling paint problems? Just curious.

We'd had a few spots in the flat concrete roofed areas that had had some water infiltration and the paint there was not so good, but four days after the earthquake, the paint is just flying off those spots in big snowflaks, and lots of other walls that shook also have the paint bubbling, cracking and flying off. Starting to look pretty dilapidated and it wasn't that way Sunday night.

Is that normal? I know the house is still resettling. More and bigger cracks everyday.

Tom (aka XR)

[Rocky]

Just had another good one a few minutes ago at 5:55 AM.
Only lasted 8 to 10 seconds, but it rocked. Not as strong as the big one at the beginning of the week, but enough to tumble a few things. I think I'm going out to buy me a giant roll of Velcro to hold everything down.
Marco.

[gerd]

wife & kids are sleeping in the car again..........

[XanaduRanch]

Woke me up, but it was weak enough that I thought I dreamt it. Went to the lving room and Jose was still up watching a movie, he felt it and heard it, too. Some small, small waves in the pool. Lost power from Ede Norte a second or two before it started he said. I'd swear I felt two other little ones between 4AM and this one too.

Oh well, after that 6.5, an earthquake I have to guess about is not going to keep me from getting any sleep.

Tom (aka XR)

P.S.
Been waiting for the USGS to post it out of curiosity but an hour later it's not there. I am going back to bed. The heliograph traces from Puerto Rico's satation in the Mona Passage clearly shows it though starting at 5:56am.

[Ken]

No, Tom, it wasn't just the wine you drank last night.

Still not posted.

The people who are still sleeping outdoors no doubt are feeling vindicated.

[Adrian Bye]

I was reading DR1 when the little one happened this morning.

I sure am getting tired of all these little quakes..

Tom, can you tell whoever's doing it, that we've had enough and they can stop now?

[XanaduRanch]

"Jose! Hand me that red phone line with the direct line to El Diablo. No! Not the Hippo phone, the one to the other El Diablo! Geesh! Do I have to do everything myself!"

Tom (aka XR)