Family holidays are rarely that eventful, but by some unlucky fate, James Jackon, a sixth form student, has had three close calls with earthquakes during time abroad. 

After a week visiting in Auckland, New Zealand, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the area on February 22nd, 2011—killing 185 people. Jackson and his family had left only a week before. He was only four years old, but remembers the cathedral that he stayed in with haunting vividity. “Everything was peaceful,” he said. The cathedral had boasted exquisite architecture; a week later, it had been razed to a silo of rubble. 

More recently, in July 2022, Jackson visited Ecuador. He ventured back to the Ring of Fire and another earthquake began, this time before he could leave the epicentre. James describes his experience living through the magnitude 5.5 quake: “It wasn’t scary, but it was certainly nerve-wracking.” However, the locals had seen it all before. “Nobody was phased; life continued as normal.” 

In late February 2023, he was residing in his country home in Wales, when yet another earthquake struck. This one was only of magnitude 3, but Jackson could still feel the floor shaking. 

But apparently that warning wasn’t enough; James decided to turn the tables and go earthquake hunting. In August 2023, he visited the epicentre of the Chile, Santiago natural disaster—one of magnitude 9.1—that had ruined the city on September 16th, 2015. He describes a conversation with a citizen he met there—one who had witnessed the event unfold—saying, “He described being up on a hill with some friends, looking down at Santiago…’the buildings were swaying…people were running out desperately.’” 

When asked if Jackson has any final thoughts on the matter, he simply stated, “There will be more, I reckon.” No doubt about it.