I lived in Chile for three years, I was planning to stay for one school year and I loved it so much I stayed for three.  I only left because the travel between southern and northern hemispheres was too complicated.

I have very good friends there and I can't get through to anyone.   TV is reporting from Concepción and Santiago, but not from the smaller coastal towns where a lot of people from Santiago might still be on vacation before school starts next week.  If anyone has news, especially from Viña del Mar, Zapallar and Valparaíso on the coast, please say.

Well, thank God all my friends and former students and their families are alright.  Most of them were in Santiago and Viña (on the coast, but North of Santiago) and there were different degrees of damage to their apartments but only one of them major.  The rest were mostly broken things. (edited March 1st)