With this year’s earthquakes in Southern California, Chili, and Mexico, and the the Fukashima earthquake and subsequent tsunami Japan still causing problems 3-years later, earthquake preparedness has – and should be – been on the minds of many.
The New York Times recently posted an article and accompanying video discussing past earthquakes and the damage they have caused. The video starts out with the Loma Prieta earthquake and its subsequent damage. It then shifts to Oregon and seismic studies that have been done in that area show that a large earthquake (between magnitude 8 and 9) on average every 240 years. The last one that struck was over 300 years ago. One of these studies, The Oregon Resilience Plan, concluded that without preparedness between 1,200 and 10,000 people would die in a tsunami and economic impact would be felt for decades.
The Los Angeles Times had a recent article discussing Mexico’s 21 year old earthquake warning system. The system provides warnings broadcast through air sirens, TV, and radio; providing valuable seconds of warning when an earthquake hits. The 7.2 earthquake that struck near Acapulco on April 18th,
triggered the system and gave Mexico City 71 seconds before the shaking began in the city. Many other countries, including Japan, also have seismic warning systems that alert residents, give bullet trains time to slow down, and even secure inventory before the shaking begins. The USGS has a prototype warning system, but lacks the funding needed to make the system functional.
What does the emergency plan in your state/city/town include?
Sources:
USGS Earthquake Interactive Map