earthquake in Wenchuan

Yesterday, 5/12 a powerful earthquake registering 7.9 on the Richter scale struck the town of Wenchuan. This is 55 miles away from Chengdu, the hub of western China with a population of 12 million. The earthquake inflicted massive damage to the region with estimates of 10,000 casualties thus far. That figure could go much higher. Chengdu city itself was spared of major damage. Had the epicenter of an earthquake of that magnitude occurred in Chengdu the casualties would be exponentially higher.

The effects of this earthquake was even felt by Shanghai residents. I work in a building of only 2 floors so I did not feel the tremors at all. However many office workers who work in skyscrapers felt the effects and many of them emptied out onto the streets in the late afternoon. I was out of the office in transit to a meeting and I saw many people milling around the plazas of office buildings.

There was basically no damage to the Shanghai as it is 1100 miles away from the epicenter the equivalent of the distance between New York and New Orleans.

I think it is safe to say that the planet has its own way of taking control.