President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Santiago, Chile, to Attend the Inauguration of President Piñera

President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Santiago, Chile, to Attend the Inauguration of President Piñera

____________________________________________________________________________

WASHINGTON--President Barack Obama today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to Santiago, Chile, to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Sebastián Piñera Echenique, President of the Republic of Chile, on March 11, 2010.

The Honorable General James L. Jones, USMC (Ret), National Security Advisor to the President, will be the head of the delegation.

MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATION:

The Honorable Paul E. Simons, U.S. Ambassador to Chile

Dr. Russell C. Crandall, Director for Andean Affairs, National Security Council.

Source White House.

-----------------------------------------------------

The U.S. humanitarian and other urgency support has been quick response to the urgency rescue and to support:

The U.S. military is providing support to the ongoing relief efforts in Chile following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the nation Feb. 27. About 150 U.S. military personnel are working with local and international responders to provide relief to hard-hit areas. All military operations are in support of USAID, which is orchestrating U.S. government contributions to the relief mission.

A U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) team from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, will arrive today in Santiago, Chile, aboard three C-17 Globemaster aircraft, where it will assist citizens affected by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the nation Feb. 27.

Two U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft and a team of about 50 airmen from the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard will arrive in Santiago today to support ongoing U.S. and international relief efforts in areas impacted by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake Feb. 27.

The humanitarian airlift deployment will join the ongoing U.S. relief efforts led by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) and will augment an ongoing C-130 airlift relief operation led by Chile’s Air Force.

A U.S. Navy assessment team assembled in Mayport, Fla. March 7 and arrived in Santiago, Chile March 8. The Chilean Navy flew the team to Concepcion, Chile to provide technical expertise following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake and tsunami on Feb. 27.

The team members have backgrounds in diving and salvage, medical, engineering, communications, and surveying. The team will report directly to the U.S. Military Group at the U.S. Embassy in Chile. U.S. Southern Command is leading the efforts for any U.S. military support requested.

The team, headed by Navy Capt. Joe Newbury with Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), was sent following a request for assistance by the Chilean government. The team is composed of 12 Sailors and civilians from various commands, including Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and NECC.

There are many other places natural disasters were happening especially for the earthquake and tsunami click to see the video clips via youtube for recent past years of the Earthquake and tsunami here and there.

UN Report shows that Secretary of General Ban Ki Moon is Closely Monitoring Developments in Chile after Huge Earthquake including the risk of Pacific Rim tsunamis, after the huge earthquake in Chile. The Secretary-General expresses his condolences to those who have lost family and friends, and wishes those injured a speedy recovery. He is also seeking to contact the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which is based in Santiago, for an assessment of the earthquake and information on United Nations staff. The United Nations system, through its Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, is on standby to offer rapid assistance to the Chilean Government and people.


Aftershocks rock Chile as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has arrived in Chile as aftershocks rock the city of Concepcion.	Amateur footage is released of the tsunami hitting a town in southern Chile.

Huge Aftershock Rocks Chile Before President's Inauguration. A 6.9 earthquake occurred on March 11, 2010 in O'Higgins Region of Chile . No Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued by Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, although that Center did warn of the possibility of local tsunamis within 100 kilometers of the epicenter (very roughly, the Chilean coast between Concepción and Santo Domingo/San Antonio). Desventuradas and Easter Island.Chile also claims about 1,250,000 square kilometres (480,000 sq mi) of Antarctica, although all claims are suspended under the Antarctic Treaty.

Chile is one of South America's most stable and prosperous nations. It leads Latin American nations in human development, competitiveness, quality of life, political stability, globalization, economic freedom, low perception of corruption and comparatively low poverty rates. In December 2009 Chile became the first South American country to be invited to join the OECD and a founding member of both the United Nations.

United State inlcuding United Nations are monitoring closely and prayers for the Chileans.

Sources:

Disaster Video clips via youtube

DOD News Release

United Nation

wikipedia

Yahoo

catch4all.com, Sandra Englund, March 11, 2010

-----------------------------------------------------

USGS reported Chile earthquake: The magnitude 8.8 earthquake of February 27, 2010 ruptured the portion of the South American subduction zone separating these two massive historical earthquakes On February 27, 2010:

February 27 shock originated about 230 km north of the source region of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of May, 1960 – the largest earthquake worldwide in the last 200 years or more. This giant earthquake spawned a tsunami that engulfed the Pacific Ocean. An estimated 1600 lives were lost to the 1960 earthquake and tsunami in Chile, and the 1960 tsunami took another 200 lives among Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines. Approximately 870 km to the north of the February 27 earthquake is the source region of the magnitude 8.5 earthquake of November, 1922. This great quake significantly impacted central Chile, killing several hundred people and causing severe property damage. The 1922 quake generated a 9-meter local tsunami that inundated the Chile coast near the town of Coquimbo; the tsunami also crossed the Pacific, washing away boats in Hilo harbor, Hawaii.

Preliminary Earthquake Report U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center World Data Center for Seismology located in Denver.

Here is detail info via USGS:

You can see the Magnitude 8.8 OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 06:34:14 UTC Historic Seismicity via this link.

--------------------------------------

SANTIAGO, Chile - A devastating magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Chile early Saturday, toppling homes, collapsing bridges and spawning a tsunami that threatened every nation around the Pacific Ocean — roughly a quarter of the globe. Chileans near the epicenter were tossed about as if shaken by a giant. It was the strongest earthquake to hit the country in 50 years and one of the strongest ever measured anywhere. President-elect Sebastian Pinera said more than 120 people died and the toll could climb higher. Local radio reported up to 150 could have been killed or hurt in a collapsed 14-story building in the hard-hit Concepcion, where firemen were working to put out fires throughout the city. One fire was in the science department in the local university.

According to an Associated Press Television News cameraman, some buildings have collapsed in Santiago and there are power outages in parts of the city.[14] Santiago's International Airport seems to have been damaged and the airport authority has closed off all flight operations for the next 24 hours from around 1200 UTC. More than 120 deaths had been reported about 12 hours after the quake, and the toll was rising. Damaged buildings and fires were reported in Concepción. The Chilean National Emergency Office Oficina Nacional de Emergencia estimated that the intensity of the earthquake was 9 on the Mercalli scale in the Biobío Region and 8 in Santiago.USGS put the intensity in Santiago and Valparaiso at MM VI.

The U.S. National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning in a huge swathe of the Pacific region, including Antarctica. In the Americas, the warning extends to Chile (including Easter Island), Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama.

A warning was also issued for the Oceania and Pacific Islands nations and territories of American Samoa, Australia, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia.

Coastal areas of Canada's British Columbia are under a tsunami advisory.

Residents were advised to avoid beaches, harbours and marinas..

See the damages via photos and fox news in below

Fox news

Tsunami warning has been throughout the pacific. A tsunami advisory is also in effect for coastal areas of California, Oregon, Washington and southern Alaska in the United States.

It is good to review the important facts to know about the tsunamis. See the following:

When the tsunami happens, if you are on the land the following advices may save your life: sources: USGS:

U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1187 Version 1.1 talks about the great tips for Surviving a Tsunami which compiled by Brian F. Atwater, Marco Cisternas V.1, Joanne Bourgeois2, Walter C. Dudley3, James W. Hendley II, and Peter H.Stauffer.

Tips for Surviving a Tsunami

Head for High Ground and Stay There- Move uphill or at least inland.

Away from the coast.

Abandon Belongings - Save your life, not your possessions.

Don’t Count on the Roads When fleeing a tsunami caused by a nearby earthquake, you may find roads broken or blocked.

Go to an Upper Floor or Roof of a Building Only if trapped and unable to reach high ground, go to an upper story of a sturdy building or get on its roof. .

Climb a Tree As a last resort, climb up a strong tree if trapped on low ground.

Climb onto Something that Floats If swept up by a tsunami, look for something to use as a raft.

Expect the Waves to Leave Debris A tsunami will leave behind sand, the remains of houses, and bodies.

Expect Quakes to Lower Coastal Land A large earthquake can leave nearby coastal areas lowered, allowing tidal water to flood them.

Expect Company Shelter your neighbors.

You can see more detail via USGS site : Surviving a Tsunami - Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan

Sources:

Yahoo News

USGS
Wikipedia

Fox New

Surviving a Tsunami - Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan

catch4all.com, Sandra Englund, February 27, 2010