That changed to horror as we saw images of landslides, cracked walls and cars crushed by bricks. Places where some of us had stood hours earlier were covered with rubble. Post-traumatic stress reactions began showing up hours later, and they could last for months. Some people are crying over little frustrations. Many have found it impossible to focus.
People are anxious and tense and startle easily.
They enter a room and immediately look for a safe place to hide. Something seemingly unrelated triggers panic. Those reactions are typical of people who have been through an earthquake. That quake killed 541 people and destroyed or severely damaged 5,500 buildings. After 16 months, people there still felt distressed and emotional.