The recent magnitude 6.2 earthquake that hit Costa Rica on Jan. 8, 2009, ringing in a memorable start to the new year, devastated several small mountain communities about 25 miles north of the capital city of San Jose. Cinchona was the hardest it as the mountain top town was located directly above the local fault line. The deadly landslides in the area were both the result of the long, winding mountain ranges having no grounded support on either side and the moist, loose nature of the soil in this fertile region. Many of the structures affected were not built to Costa Rican seismic code as they were in lower income neighborhoods where safety is unfortunately a luxury.
Tourism in the region is expected to take a large hit due to this tragedy, as current hotel occupancy rates around the Poas Volcano National Park are at an expected zero percent. Despite blocked roads, the owner of Peace Lodge & Waterfall Gardens, which saw the most structural damage, said he hopes to reopen in several weeks. Lee Banks was not there at the time of the earthquake, but said he is extremely proud of his staff and how they looked out for the hotel guests despite their own fears.
Other Costa Rica hotels have stepped in to help out with the logistics of the hotel’s closing by offering discounted rates to would-be Peace Lodge guests that must cancel their reservations. The hotel’s new sister property, The Springs in Arenal, will be accepting reservations from Peace Lodge clients for the same price charged by the damaged hotel. La Mansion Inn Arenal has also offered a discounted rate for its cabins to make sure visiting tourists aren’t affected economically by the fortuitous event.
Another challenge to the regeneration of tourism and commerce to the region is the damage to access roads to reach Poas and the La Paz waterfalls. The Minister of Public Works and Transport said that the majority of the affected roads can be cleared of fallen earth and debris, while a few of the washed out sections will be rerouted and reconstructed in more secure areas.
Whereas certain areas like Cinchona may have to be abandoned for safer grounds, other towns that are not in danger of land slides will likely be reconstructed with the help of the National Insurance Institute (INS), volunteers and construction supply donations from the rest of the Costa Rican population who have shown a tremendous outpouring of support for the victims. The good news, is that after the earthquake and the smaller 2,000 plus aftershocks, the energy from the friction at the fault line is slowly coming to a rest, leaving locals on reshaped, firmer grounds.
While Costa Rica is known for being a seismically active country, notable earthquakes are not commonplace, a fact that may have left the affected populations unprepared and shocked. The last deadly earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 7.7, took place in Limon 18 years ago, and left 27 people dead; very minor in comparison to the quakes that rocked Chile, China, Japan and southeast Asia in recent years. This Thursday’s earthquake was also comparatively minor in its destruction, though it proved to be an important reminder to the population that the possibility is there, and the best one can do is be prepared.
Earthquake drills and safety precautions reminders are being played on local news stations and repeated to office employees and school children. Rather than running outside, it is safest to remain under a doorway or under a strong piece of furniture like a desk or bed because the most injuries occur just outside of doorways from falling debris.
The rest of Costa Ricans, who hardly felt the earthquake in many cases, are continuing on with daily life a little more aware of the danger beneath their feet. There was no severe structural or infrastructure damage in any areas outside of the Poas region and some areas surrounding San Jose, and all major damages are being analyzed and appropriately addressed.
Neither the Pacific nor Caribbean coasts suffered from any earthquake related damage and many of the tourists who had to be evacuated from the La Paz waterfall area have continued their vacations on to regions like Arenal, Monteverde, and the beaches of Guanacaste and Jaco. Anyone concerned about their Costa Rica vacation plans is encouraged to call their travel agency for an update, though the current forecast promises blue skies, warm temperatures with cool winds focused on the Central Valley, through March.
Written by Claire Saylor (Costa Rica Pages)