Bali was rattled by a powerful earthquake last night, reminding us once more we’re on shaky ground. The quake was centered deep under west Java and was felt as far as Sumatra.
As the BBC reports, the magnitude 7.5 quake hit at 0005 on Thursday (1705 GMT Wednesday) at a depth of 289km (180 miles). Our house in Seminyak started gently shaking and with the AC unit making most movement, the bed rocking. The immediate impulse is to run outside, but many villas have tiled roofs, which can become missiles with a little encouragement. Best strategy is to lay down next to a solid object such as a kitchen counter or stone bath tub.
This morning there was no sign of any damage in my area, or news reports of damage in Bali. I would hate to be in Denpasar if a big quake hit closer to home. With the low grade concrete and shakey building standards they use here, Bali would take a beating.
Here’s what the USGS has to say about the Java earthquake.
