Survivors Tell Their Story

“It was like an explosion, as if dynamite was exploding under the house. And I heard a curious roar,” one eyewitness told Awake! She added: “I felt as if I were falling into a gulf. I called out to my husband, ‘George, hurry, take the children out!’ Then the lights went out. I grabbed one child, and George grabbed the other, and we rushed down the stairs to the street. There was dust everywhere. Almost all the houses in our neighborhood crumbled. Yet no one was killed because most people were in the streets.”

That last remark is a clue to safety during an earthquake​—get out of the buildings and into open areas. In Kalamata the quake struck on Saturday at about 8:20 p.m. At that time many of the people were already in the streets. In fact, crowds were down at the docks watching the inauguration of a new ferry service to Crete. Without a doubt that fortuitous circumstance saved many lives.

Another eyewitness, Mr. Karalekas, explained: “I have lived through many earthquakes, but this was something altogether different. It was terrible. It was like being on a ship in a storm, and the rolling motion hindered your walking. As soon as I felt it, I went to stand beneath the doorframe and shouted to the children to do the same. For the moment, that would provide some protection. Then, as soon as I could, I rushed the family downstairs into the courtyard. Fortunately, my house did not crumble.”

As a temporary safety measure, a solid doorframe can be a lifesaver. But as in this case, a quick exit to an open area is the best policy.

Therefore, it is always wise to be prepared to the degree possible for those natural disasters​—such as floods and earthquakes—​that might be common to certain areas. Knowing how to act in such circumstances is the course of wisdom. As the Bible counsels: “A shrewd man sees trouble coming and lies low; the simple walk into it and pay the penalty.”​—Proverbs 27:12, The New English Bible.