Jojo vs Earthquakes

Ok, let's begin our journey here.

If you were born in a country - Belgium - where Earthquakes happen as often as a chicken smoke a cigar, then you are really blessed. No risk, no fear, and a lot of beer.

But if, like me, you decide to leave that country and reside in a country - the Philippines - which happen to lay just over the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most seismically active region on the planet, then you are either (multiple choice) :

1. Nuts
2. Out of your mind
3. Retired
4. Smocking weed
5. Hiding from the dragon in your bedroom (really you should stop smocking weed)
6. In Love

Personally, it was a mix of 1 and 6

In any case, the Pacific Ring of Fire is THE place to be if you are an earthquake junkie. If you are a normal person, please refer to the multiple choice above.

Courtesy of : www.nature.nps.gov

Well, I had my first taste of ground shaking in 2012 with the Eastern Samar Earthquake.

Maps of Tectonic Plates

On the 31 of August of that year, the whole family was gathered in the house, a usual evening. During the discussion we felt slowly, but surely, the motion of the ground. It is weird, really weird. And yet, we are in Davao City in the South of Mindanao, as for Eastern Samar it is way up the map.

The fact is, it was a Strong Earthquake on the Richter Scale. The last number was 7.9M, strong enough to make Davao City shake as well. And I must admit that not being able to stand correctly on your feet is a strange feeling... However, their was not much incident, just a good shake.

The quake itself happened at sea near the Philippine Trench which is a Subduction Zone on Convergent Boundaries between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Those Plates are just two pieces of a planetary puzzle of many plates which divide Earth's Crust.

So, there I was with my first taste of what it feels like to have the ground moving under your feet. Since then I had another few of course but not that strong, but that first one led me to realize that it could be a good idea to get more interested in preparing for those things, especially coming from Belgium where Earthquakes happen as often as a chicken smoke a cigar.

By the way, all the terms in orange will be explained in future posts, which is quite one of the purpose of this blog, beside preparation for disaster :-)

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A New Direction For This Blog

OK. It has been a long long long time for me to come back to blogging.

Yet, I must admit, I had a lot of other things to do, and blogging became difficult to manage for a while. This being said, during those months of silence I made a journey of discoveries about Natural Hazards.

The Philippines is a country of many islands - around 7000. However as many as they are, they share the same overall situation : they are on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and, to add to the mix, also in line with Typhoons and other joy Nature can throw at it.

In Davao things are relatively quiet on both of those issues. Very few earth tremors and relatively well protected from the typhoons. At least for the moment. But nothing never last forever in this world.


So, as a Native Belgian not used to typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes and other things of the kind, I've decided to go into a journey of learning about those things in relation to the city I'm living in now Davao City. With time I had to enlarge my research to the Philippines as a whole, then to the Ring of Fire, and larger and larger.

That journey had one main purpose - to be able to prepare as much as possible for any natural hazards which could potentially happen. The principal concern I had, and still have, is my wife and my little son, and being ready in any possible worst case scenario. So, it was, and still is, a journey of learning worth taking.

Although the education I received had a lot of Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology) into it, my background is Graphic Art. So, I have a lot of things to read, some technical concepts to grasp, many hours of "Knowledge Digestion", yet in the end a huge box of ideas helpful to prepare. Theoretical Knowledge, Survival, Farming, Gardening, Self Sustaining, Medical Kit, etc, etc, etc. Whatever I learned does not make me a genius or a Science PhD, but on a practical side what I know could save my live and the one of those I love.

After some thoughts, decision has been make to share it with others as well. After all, how foolish to keep knowledge for yourself if it can help others. So, this blog will take a new direction and present - the simplest way possible - the result of my journey of learning - Things you already probably know, some you don't.

Have a nice day ahead

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