It’s generally pretty terrifying to be in a big earthquake because you have no idea how long it will last, how strong it will get, and where a safe place to go is.
Should you stay inside? If you do, will the building you’re in collapse on you? Should you go outside? If you do, will the road suddenly split open? Will something like a tree or an electric pole fall down on you? Will you get hit by an electrical wire that has snapped? Should you get in your car?
If you are by the sea, you have to worry about a possible tsunami. And with that, even if you evacuate and get to higher ground, how big will the tsunami be? You don’t know.
I was in Sendai during the massive earthquake of 2011. While that was much bigger than the recent earthquake, both quakes felt very similar.
And at the same time, it’s an interesting feeling because what is generally solid becomes soft and malleable, and you ride on it and with it, which is something that I find, in the middle of my worry and terror, fascinating.
Thank you for your vivid and detailed response. I don’t think it is something that many people can describe so well nor handle it.