Earthquake

We had an earthquake one day this week.

We live near volcanoes, inactive and active, and also near the Great Rift Valley, so it is an area that has had a lot of seismic activity in the past.  And, apparently, some in the present.  We have noticed cracks in buildings - our house has one across the front porch and another (patched) in the living room floor.  The staff room of the school has a crack in the wall that is as much as 1/4 inch wide.  I didn't know if this was due to earthquakes or merely shoddy construction.  Now, I think it is a combination of the two.

I was teaching one of my math classes when the quake hit, starting to write an assignment on the blackboard.  The tremor lasted 3 to 4 seconds, which seemed like a long time.  Long enough for a flatlander like me to realize what was going on and think, "Oh, ___!"

My 47 students all started screaming and most of them rushed to the door, which was closed.  They knocked over desks and chairs in their panic, and pushed and shoved at the door (which opens inward).  My yelling "Don't push!" went unheeded.  Soon, a male teacher outside managed to get the door open, and they poured out.  I turned to survey the room and saw 2 or 3 boys jumping out of the windows.

There was no damage to the building, and after a few minutes we all returned to the classroom.  I gave my kids a little talk about keeping calm and exiting the room safely, but I don't think my words of wisdom registered.  What this school needs is earthquake drills.  I talked to the assistant headmaster about it on Friday, and he liked the idea.  So, now I have the assignment to research the best way to do it, and to start implementation.