Lief and I were on the back terrace of our office in Panama City when it happened, recording a video. Lief was speaking when the ground moved beneath our feet.
“I think we need to pause here,” he said, “because we seem to be experiencing an earthquake.”
As we halted our recording session, two of our team rushed out from inside the building.
They explained that the center of the earthquake was very, very nearby Los Islotes.
I’ll fast forward to the point.
There’s been no loss of life and only minor injuries. An upside of low population density.
There has, though, been devastating loss and damage to property.
We count our blessings. Los Islotes was miraculously unscathed.
We had small damage to our main water tank and water line, which our crew repaired in real time.
Yes, they remained on site and continued working throughout the entire experience. They toured every house and every location. Only when they were certain that Los Islotes was okay did they take off for home.
What they found when they got home was, in some cases, a shock.
It has been a long and painful weekend for our Los Islotes team, their families, and our neighbors. Since the first big quake, the area has experienced more than 200 aftershocks, including one just reported as I write measuring 4.8 magnitude.
The greatest destruction was in Torio, 21 kilometers up the coast from us.
Houses, infrastructure, and roads have taken big hits.
At Los Islotes, houses have come through virtually unaffected. Our team of architects, engineers, and builders knows what they’re doing, and right now we realize what we owe them.
In the broader community—Los Islotes sits in the village of Quebro—all around us need help.
It is coming from many directions. Many groups have organized to address immediate challenges. The people of our coast need water and food right now… tarps and tents… baby formula and fuel.
We are sourcing and delivering aid as directly to those in need as we can, along with many others. The grass-roots response has been impressive and heart-warming.
The government has also responded in real time. Electricity has been restored, and the coastal road has already been made passable. Supply trucks are getting through.
The longer-term challenge is even greater. We are coordinating with our righthand woman on the ground, our Project Manager Dalys, on a rebuilding plan.
Dalys’ home has been severely damaged. Homes of some of her family members and neighbors have been destroyed completely. Many houses in the area are now structurally unsound.
Dalys and our Los Islotes crew have been the ones to plan for and then create the beautiful structures we at Los Islotes so enjoy.
Now it’s our turn to help them. We are doing our best.
If you’d like to help, too, here’s the link. We know that every dollar will be very much appreciated and put to good use.
We’ll be in touch with further updates.
For now, please know that everyone in our Los Islotes community is doing what we do—pulling together.
Until next time,
