Earthquake

On the 11 March, all began normally with babies needing feeding, changing and usual care. Playtime and books to be read. Sunny and bright outdoors. A cool wind blowing - to be expected for this time of the year.

2pm the babies got up and had a bottle, then lay on their play mat having a look at their toys. About 2.40pm I went to the kitchen as I was about to make a banana cake. I was looking at my computer screen reading the recipe and thought I saw something move. I stopped and checked myself.

The computer was moving. The ground was moving and it was steadily getting more and more violent. My first thoughts were to the babies. I had to get them off the floor and away from the windows - the living was all windows on one and a bit walls. I grabbed the first one and Grandma took the other. I said we needed to get out of this room and headed for the hallway. We both squeezed into the toilet room with the babies. Grandma called her husband and after a lot of yelling, he finally started to come downstairs.

3 adults and 2 babies jammed tightly into the toilet now! The earth was still moving vigorously and we waited and waited for it to abate. It went on for a very long time - apparently 5 minutes or so, we found out after.

Once it stopped we tentatively left the toilet and headed back to the living area. It was bedtime for the babies so we took them up to their room and settled them in.

No sooner were we back in the living area and another almighty bang shook the house. I ran up the hall and grabbed the babies out of their room, deciding they didn't need to be in there so far away from us. I put them in their buggy and there they slept for all their sleeps until midnight when I went to bed myself.

We had 7 aftershocks, the smallest one a 6.3 on the Richter scale, within the hour. Once I was able to gather myself a little I got online and discovered the earthquake had been 7.9, less then 250miles northeast of us. The rating eventually reached a 9 on the Richter scale a few days later.

The worst part, was still to hit - the tsunami. I was gobsmacked when I turned on the TV to see the water surging inland and destroying everything in it's path. It was shocking and distressing (to say the least) to think of this happening so very close to us.