1999 Earthquake

Page 1

Written by: Ece


Table of Contents

Plan…………………………………………………………………………………………p3-­‐12 Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………p-­‐13 Historical Narrative………………..……………………………………………………………p14-­‐16 Authors Note………………………………………………………………………..p-­‐17 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………p-­‐18 About the Author…………………………………………………………………………………...p-­‐19












I dedicate this to my mom, which were my interviewee and my English teacher Ms.Bui.


I

am sure we are all

next to his bed and

he started flexing his

familiar with that

checked his fever.

small hands. It took me a

midnight wake-­‐up,

Reading 38.2 on the

few times to make him do

whether it is to go to the

screen, I thought to

it, but eventually he

airport or just an

myself that, it’s still high,

opened his little mouth

ordinary miserable

and I slowly put the

sleepless night. Well yes,

spoon of medicine. I

that is what I did earlier

could understand he

this morning. My son,

hated the bitter taste

Emre, had high fever,

by his crossed

therefore I had set an

eyebrows. He was too

alarm on my phone to

tired to cry and give

2:55 a.m. because I had to wake up and give my son medicine because the medicine has timing that it had to be given, then went back to sleep. ”Beep beep beep” the alarm went off. Sighing,

1It happened but now it is over, the next step is for us to fix it.

so I decided to give him some medicine. Gently supporting him from the back of his neck, I slowly sat him up right. Still holding his back so he doesn’t fall back down, I

me a hard time, so I gently placed him back down and stood by him until he fell asleep – which was almost instantly. I slowly got off Emre’s bed and started walking

I quickly got out of bed

to my room, already

and started walking

thinking about the

towards Emre’s room,

comfortable feeling of

squinting to the open

closing my eyes under

lights in the living

the warm sheets. I was

room. I got to his room

suddenly disturbed by a

and walked towards his

It was hard to find a new home but we had no other choice.

strange, unusual noise. I

little bed and sat on it. I

whispered, “Emrecim,

looked to the windows

first kissed him, then

Emrecim, open your

and saw that the blinds

grabbed the thermometer

mouth”. After hearing me,

were shaking. Instantly I


realized it was an

The earthquake got more

earthquake, but certainly

intense each second. I

not yet aware of how big

could see the wall moving

it was going to be in the

back and forth. The living

upcoming seconds. I

room suddenly turned

yelled to my husband,

pitch black because the

“BURAAAAAK”. I quickly

electricity cut off. “We

turned my head towards

have nothing to do but to

our bedroom to see if he

stay together” I yelled.

was coming. As soon as I

turned my head he was

I feel the earthquake

gathered all our clothing

already out of bed and

getting smaller and

together with Filiz and

running towards me.

smaller I thought to

rushed out of the house

Burak was now with me.

myself, now the

to my mother-­‐in-­‐law’s

He asked in his trembling

earthquake was

house.

voice “ Where is Emre

completely done.

and Filiz”, (nanny) I

“Maybe we shouldn’t stay

I still often think back to

slowly lifted my head up

home and go to my moms

this moment and

to his face and from his

house to have more

unfortunately remind

facial expression saw that

company and be more

myself of this frightening

Seeing news about earthquakes makes me feel bad for the people who are experiencing it.

he was worried. I saw

moment. This day has

Filiz with her sleepy eyes

scared me so much that

and Emre in her hands

now, when the kids run

running towards us with

around in the house, the

panic. “Whaaaaa” Emre

shaking ground reminds

was crying very loudly. I

me of that terrifying

saw Burak getting Emre

safe”, Burak said.

night. Now, when I even

from Filiz’s hands and

“I agree”, I replied.

see news about

doing his best to calm

Burak and I started

earthquakes, I feel very

Emre down.

running towards our

bad for the people that

bedroom with Emre still

had to experience them. I

in Burak’s hands, quickly

unfortunately can relate


to these incidents and

they can be. I would

such a moment in my life

remind myself of how bad

never want to experience

ever again.


Author’s Note This earthquake, which struck with a magnitude of 6.7, is said to be the worst one in Turkey’s history. Killing more than 1000 people, the earthquake happened in Izmit, Western Turkey. Many people in this populated town were asleep in bed and had no chance to escape. Buildings were also destroyed in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, about 50 miles North West of Izmit. Within two hours of the earthquake there were more aftershocks causing more damage.


Bibliography

BBC News. BBC, 17 Aug. 1999. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/17/newsid_2534000/2534245.stm>. "GSA Today - 1999 Izmit, Turkey Earthquake Was No Surprise." GSA Today - 1999 Izmit, Turkey Earthquake Was No Surprise. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015. <http://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/10/1/article/i1052-5173-10-1-1.htm>. "Interview with Esra." Personal interview. 12 Oct. 2015. Interviewed three times "1999+earthquake+turkey+ - Google'da Ara." 1999+earthquake+turkey+ - Google'da Ara. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <https://www.google.com.tr/search?&biw=1382&bih=678&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=1999%2Bearthquake%2Bturk ey%2B&oq=1999%2Bearthquake%2Bturkey%2B&gs_l=img.3...0.0.4.161930370.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c.. 64.img..0.0.0.m2KHGEJ7KW4&bav=on.2%2Cor.r_cp.&bvm=bv.107406026%2Cd.bGQ&dpr=1&ech=1&psi= 8WlEVsT2K6HmyQOX25SwDg.1447324587482.7&ei=SWxEVr2HEYKdsAGJ26HQAw&emsg=NCSR&noj =1>. "People+from+the+1999+earthquake - Google'da Ara." People+from+the+1999+earthquake - Google'da Ara. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <https://www.google.com.tr/search?q=people%2Bfrom%2Bthe%2B1999%2Bearthquake&espv=2&biw=1382 &bih=674&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CB8QsARqFQoTCMGf6ZXSkskCFQeXcgodeZUO sA#q=people+from+the+1999+earthquake&tbs=itp:photo&tbm=isch&imgrc=4pY8p503WPUa8M%3A>. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.google.com.tr/search?q=map+of+1999+izmit+earthquake&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=673&sourc e=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIhI7Fi4uTyQIVI4FyCh1piwvt#imgrc=jizCrUD0kRbYM%3A>. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.google.com.tr/search?q=izmit+earthquake+1999&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=673&source=lnms&t bm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMI-Ki94uTyQIVSHxyCh0JEwZJ#imgrc=hR95aiemnttECM%3A>.


About the Author:

Ece Yakupoglu was born in 2003, Virignia, USA. Ece wouldn’t write often but when she did, she would give her best effort to the writing. Ece really likes doing sports, she mostly does football and Cross-­‐country but loves all types of other sports as well. Ece also enjoys listening to music. Ece is an energetic person, loves making people laugh and enjoys spending time with her friends and family.


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