The death toll has risen to over 1,000, but over 1.5 million people have been displaced by the quake. Cities have been hit the hardest, and many people have been crushed under the rubble of falling buildings. After the initial quake over two dozen aftershocks plagued the country. The destruction is worst in Concepción and in surrounding areas to the south. The Chilean president Michelle Bachelet called the quake “one of the worst tragedies in the last 50 years” and has declared a “state of catastrophe” in the country. Despite this, the Chilean government is prepared for this disaster. It has a emergency fund of nearly 15 billion dollars to draw on, the government’s debt is low and their free-market economy is strong and should be able to bounce back.

   The quake also initiated tsunami waves that quickly traveled across the ocean. Tsunami warnings led to evacuations in Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines. The tsunami threat turned out to be unfounded, and the massive evacuation in Hawaii was an important precautionary measure, but unnecessary.

(Sources: New York Times, Washington Post)