Tarapoto had a little tremble on the 12th of August as it felt the effects of the earthquake in Ecuador. The epicenter was roughly 110 miles south-east of Quito and the quake measured a respectable 6.9 on the Richter scale, according to Reuters (7.1 according to the US Geological Survey website).

Tarapoto Earthquake

The quake reached Tarapoto just before 7.00 am, but it really wasn’t worth getting out of bed for. I have to admit that I was still asleep when it struck, but the tremor was certainly enough to wake me up, mainly because my window was rattling. It was, however, the most significant quake I’ve ever felt in Tarapoto.

I live on the fourth floor of a basic brick building, so I have already contemplated my earthquake exit strategy (it involves jumping). This quake wasn’t going to get me out of bed, let alone make me jump from a great height, but it did last for a disconcertingly long time (more than the normal 5-10 second trembler). Some people exited their homes for the presumed greater safety of the street, but there was no real danger and no damage was caused.

Don’t Worry Everyone – I’m OK

I know that thousands of people were worried about me, so hopefully this post will reassure you and let you get on with your lives. I think my email must be broken because I haven’t yet received any messages asking about my wellbeing. Strange….