Chilean-American in Minnesota Give Perspective

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - For a dozen or so families in the Twin Cities, the earthquake in Chile is deeply personal.  They are from Concepcion, near the epicenter of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake.  So they either don't know how their homes are doing or they don't know how loved ones are doing.

To get an even better understanding of what's happening in Chile, FOX 9's Tim Blotz and Karen Scullin interviewed Teresa Palacios, head of the Chilean Club of Minnesota during the Saturday evening newscast.

Palacios says because people have seen earthquakes in Chile before, and because so many buildings are supposed to withstand earthquakes, many people didn't give the quake too much thought.  But she says as the day moved on and the news reports and pictures came in, reality set in.  It became apparent that this wasn't an "ordinary" quake.  It was the strongest in 50 years, and in fact, it was one of the strongest on record.

Palacios explained that the worst thing for people anywhere in the world is trying to communicate.  She says cell phones, landline phones and power are all out.  There's very limited access to Facebook or Myspace, let alone the internet or email.

Palacios has several family members in Chile, and told Tim and Karen that she made contact with her family, and they're doing well.  But she knows many people aren't so lucky.

Take a listen to the interview.  And for more on the Chilean Club of Minnesota, just go to their website.   It's written in Spanish, but there is an English version, too.  If you'd like to help the victims of the Chilean earthquake, Palacios suggests contacting the American Red Cross .

And for the very latest on this quake, stay tuned to FOX 9 News or come back to our website any time for continuous updates.