Nicaragua Still On Alert For The “Big One”

It’s been a week since several major earthquakes hit Nicaragua. Since, the country has been rocked by smaller quakes, shocks and tremors, leaving many to ask if the “Big One” is around the corner.

In the capital city of Managua, many continue to live in the streets – literally – afraid to go indoors just in case the big one hits.

For the past week, people have been sleeping outdoors on sidewalks, in gardens, in hammocks, in cars, in fear that a their house collapsing and killing them. The sleeping outdoor was encouraged by Rosario Murillo, president Daniel Ortega’s wife, while assuring the people that everything is going to be fine.

The government is advising people to stay on alert. It was scary through the week with the radio and television stations blaring about the dangers faced — and applauding the efficiency of the government response, led by none other than Rosario Murillo. Field hospitals were prepared. Workers tore down a few dilapidated buildings left over, still, after all these years, from the “big one” in 1972 that destroyed much of Managua, killed as many as 10,000 people.

But since Sunday the quakes have been dying down. The tremors are fewer and weaker. Many aren’t felt, we know they occurred from the seismic monitoring reports.