Caught in the Kathmandu Earthquake

You never know when it will happen, only that it WILL happen. Be prepared. This was the Kathmandu Earthquake of April 25th, 2015.

Caught in the Kathmandu Earthquake

I grew up, and still have a home, along the San Andreas fault in California, and for my sixty-plus years, I have been hearing warnings of the “Big One.” I point out to my family the San Andreas Fault as we drive through or by the Cajon Pass, White Water Canyon, or Fort Tejon. We spend most of our time overseas, but our kids, born in Malaysia, have set up residence in Southern California. Last Christmas we gave them stocking stuffers for their “Go-Bags,” with what we thought would be the essentials needed in case of a big earthquake. The “big” quake, not those minor 5.0 and below that barely disturb our days as Californians.

Likewise, Linda and I had our two go bags by the door of our house in Kathmandu. Before we arrived in Kathmandu 19 months earlier, the outgoing tenant of the house offered to sell her earthquake alarm. We passed. Within a week of our arrival, we were jolted out of our sleep by an earthquake that hit a remote part of southwestern China.

Since that event in August of 2013, the earth had been quiet for the most part. Each year at work we had earthquake drills. The kids lined up, we took head counts, and…