Videos of Damage From the Earthquake in Chile

Read on

March 2, 2010

I am currently trying to take some videos for a charity relief effort, but in the mean time I thought I’d share a couple of them here. Basically I just walked around Estacion Central today shooting the general state of the streets. I have been in Vitacura/Las Condes/Providencia since the earthquake, and I can tell you that they look nothing like this. For a little context, Estacion Central is not one of the wealthier neighborhoods in Santiago (though not the poorest either. Not by a long shot). And Vitacura/Las Condes/Providencia are all considered to be “barrios altos,” or wealthier neighborhoods (direct translation is “high neighborhoods because the way Santiago grew was that the richer you are, the higher up into the mountains you are).

Anyway. All the barrios altos that I’ve seen have barely shown signs of earthquake damage. I mean, you would really have to be looking for it to know that such a calamity just happened. I’m not sure if this is because construction is higher quality on the houses and buildings so nothing fell down, or if the neighborhood municipality has already came around and cleaned up all the rubble. It may be a combination of both. Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against rich people. In fact, I very much aspire to be one of them some day. I’m just saying that Chile is one of most unequal countries in the world and this disaster has really highlighted the difference between the Haves and the Have Nots. AKA, the Haves still have houses and the Haves Nots…not so much.

Haiti = poor = destroyed. Concepcion (South of Chile) = not as poor as Haiti = destroyed, but not even closed to destroyed as Haiti. Santiago = not poor = not destroyed. Well, some of the poorer neighborhoods of the city were hit much harder, but still. Simple math. Poverty and inequality blow.

24 Comments
Subscribe to comment feed

Facebook comments:

24 Comments

  1. Hey, you have us in Providencia … and we aren't barrio alto … I don't think I am … that's why I chose Providencia, not Vitacura… not that I hate rich people, mind you. :o )
    Seriously though, you're right… it's definitely a different tune in other parts of Santiago. Though my family lives in Puente Alto and they were like “yeah you can't really tell that there was an earthquake.”

    Comment by Andrea Gonzalez — March 2, 2010 @ 5:34 am

    Reply

  2. The only thing I saw was broken glass, we live in barrio las lilas in Providencia. That made it all the more strange, it was so strong we expected half the buildings in the area to be in rubble but thankfully they weren't. There aren't even cracks on the outside of any buildings, like it never happened.

    Comment by thornton12 — March 2, 2010 @ 6:34 am

    Reply

  3. ¿La electricidad en tu barrio funciona apropiadamente? ¿Los postes están funcionando en las noches? Funcionando la electricidad se mantiene la cadena de frío para conservar alimentos, se pueden mantener las comunicaciones, y en las noches, la iluminación artificial ayuda bastante para alejar a las turbas que han aparecido iniciando saqueos.
    Espero todo esté bien en tu casa, Kyle.

    Comment by I_Marmo_I — March 2, 2010 @ 9:56 am

    Reply

  4. It's really neat to see the video and hear comments from someone who's there. Thanks for posting the video!

    One little thing that bothered me is that you spent most of the time looking at the ground. I'm sure that's where most of the damage is visible, but I kept wanting to pan the camera up to see the buildings and maybe pan out to see more of the whole picture. This might just be me.

    The video is really sharp and not very shaky though. Sometimes home videos make me a little queasy with the camera-shake or they're so low quality it's hard to see what's what.

    Comment by ordinarygirl — March 2, 2010 @ 2:15 pm

    Reply

  5. wow, thanks for the video kyle. I've been interested in seeing some footage of santiago. keep us updated on the re-building process!

    Comment by Kelly — March 2, 2010 @ 2:35 pm

    Reply

  6. I can't see the video (damn Steve Jobs and his flash hatred!) but I think what you write is a universal fact. Perhaps more apparent in Chile than in the Developed World, but it's true all over. And the gap, at least in the 1st world, just keeps getting bigger. Enough to make even the most conservative American a little Socialist, surely? ;-)

    Comment by Eliza — March 2, 2010 @ 4:47 pm

    Reply

  7. Yep, it's good to get some reporting from the spot from someone we've communicated with before and know we can trust.

    *sigh*

    It's all very sad – Haiti included and never forgotten.

    Comment by John Evo — March 2, 2010 @ 7:53 pm

    Reply

  8. So great what you're doing!!! I have to say it was nice to hear your voice for the 1st time…

    Comment by GlobalButterfly — March 3, 2010 @ 8:59 am

    Reply

  9. Haha, I don't hate rich people either, but I do still consider Providencia to be Barrio Alto…not in a bad way, in a nice way.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:30 pm

    Reply

  10. It is the most surreal thing to go outside and see parts of Santiago that look like a terremoto never happened!

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:31 pm

    Reply

  11. La electricidad estaba funcionando desde una hora despues del terremoto Marmo. La unica cosa es que habia un rio de agua en la calle que recien arreglaron ayer de un matriz roto.

    Saludos Marmo y anda con cuidado en tu viaje al Temuco.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:35 pm

    Reply

  12. Sorry OG, I posted more videos that show more of the houses in later posts if you saw those. The 5d MK II has great video quality, and honestly I hadn't really taken advantage of it much until now. I was reaaaaaaally trying not to be shaking too much with my hands — so much to the point that when I saw the video I was surprised at how shaky I was since I had thought Iwas being really stead, haha!

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:37 pm

    Reply

  13. John, I still feel really grateful that Chile wasn't destroyed as much as Haiti, but at the same time there are still so many people in the South that are really suffering.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:37 pm

    Reply

  14. Hi Kelly, I think I am going to go back in a couple days to Cerro Navia, the other neighborhood that I visited and see how they are coming with the rebuilding process so far…

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:38 pm

    Reply

  15. When will Apple and Adobe learn to play nice!?!

    Yes, the gap is pretty horrendous, particularly in Chile, but you're right, it's true all over.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:38 pm

    Reply

  16. hehe, get used to it, I am going to try to do more videos!

    Comment by kyleracine — March 9, 2010 @ 8:39 pm

    Reply

  17. Haha, I don't hate rich people either, but I do still consider Providencia to be Barrio Alto…not in a bad way, in a nice way.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:30 am

    Reply

  18. It is the most surreal thing to go outside and see parts of Santiago that look like a terremoto never happened!

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:31 am

    Reply

  19. La electricidad estaba funcionando desde una hora despues del terremoto Marmo. La unica cosa es que habia un rio de agua en la calle que recien arreglaron ayer de un matriz roto.

    Saludos Marmo y anda con cuidado en tu viaje al Temuco.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:35 am

    Reply

  20. Sorry OG, I posted more videos that show more of the houses in later posts if you saw those. The 5d MK II has great video quality, and honestly I hadn't really taken advantage of it much until now. I was reaaaaaaally trying not to be shaking too much with my hands — so much to the point that when I saw the video I was surprised at how shaky I was since I had thought Iwas being really stead, haha!

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:37 am

    Reply

  21. John, I still feel really grateful that Chile wasn't destroyed as much as Haiti, but at the same time there are still so many people in the South that are really suffering.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:37 am

    Reply

  22. Hi Kelly, I think I am going to go back in a couple days to Cerro Navia, the other neighborhood that I visited and see how they are coming with the rebuilding process so far…

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:38 am

    Reply

  23. When will Apple and Adobe learn to play nice!?!

    Yes, the gap is pretty horrendous, particularly in Chile, but you're right, it's true all over.

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:38 am

    Reply

  24. hehe, get used to it, I am going to try to do more videos!

    Comment by kyleracine — March 10, 2010 @ 4:39 am

    Reply

Leave a Reply