Sheri Meyerhoffer, Calgary lawyer in Nepal, uninjured in earthquake
Scarce supplies and constant fear of more aftershocks plague survivors of the devastating earthquake in Nepal, according to once Canadian living in the disaster area.
"It's nerve-wracking," said Sheri Meyerhoffer a Calgary lawyer and the head of a mission for the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance Nepal program (IDEA).
"Every time you feel a little movement, you don't know if it's a big one or a small one or a what one."
Meyerhoffer was upstairs when the 7.9 earthquake rocked her home. She says at first she couldn't register what was happening.
"It seemed like forever, you don't know in that period of time if the whole thing is going to collapse on you or if you're going to be ok," she said.
When ground started to shake, she says she did a "duck and hold by an inside wall." She made it safely outside of her home when the earthquake was over.
"I wasn't injured at all, I broke a nail," she said.
Thirteen hours after the initial earthquake, a second 6.7 magnitude quake hit. Meyerhoffer says the area has suffered more than 65 aftershocks. One hit as she was on the phone with CBC News.
"This is what keeps you on the edge, you just never know."
A solidly-built home
This is Meyerhoffer's second time living in Nepal; she was in the country for five years while working with the Canadian Bar Association and moved back a year ago to work with IDEA.
When looking for a home for her current tenure in Nepal, Meyerhoffer, knowing she would be living in an area prone to earthquakes, she sought out a home that was solidly built, with its own water well, solar heat and solar electricity.
"I chose one that has a field right outside of my gate so that I had someplace safe to run to," she said. "I chose it for all of those reasons, I guess hoping that it would never happen."
Meyerhoffer and about 25-30 neighbours, employees and migrant workers are all camping in make-shift tents in that field outside of her home. Last night, a storm rolled through the area, making for a sleepless night for the group. They stayed dry but Meyerhoffer says she was on edge, not being able to tell the difference between the thunder and the earth shifting.
Meyerhoffer is aware that she is one of the lucky ones but she's worried about tensions rising if food and water starts to become scarce.
Using her home's water filter, Meyerhoffer has so far been able to generate enough clean water for herself and the group.
"Right now we're good, but if it lasts too long and we can't get supplies in, there would be concerns," she said.
Meyerhoffer says they have enough food to last for another two to three days, maybe longer. But on Facebook, she's seen that some of her friends have already run out of food and has heard stories of looting
"I guess the real concern is that if we don't get enough stuff in here, if it's not organized, people will run out of food and water or whatever. If there's not enough power, then things will start to get more tense," she said.
The group remains hopeful that help is on its way. Meyerhoffer says the skies above her home have been busy, with planes coming in to the area every 15 minutes.
