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What is earthquake?

An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time. Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The moment magnitude is the most common scale on which earthquakes larger than approximately 5 are reported for the entire globe. The more numerous earthquakes smaller than magnitude 5 reported by national seismological observatories are measured mostly on the local magnitude scale, also referred to as the Richter scale. These two scales are numerically similar over their range of validity. Magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes are mostly almost imperceptible or weak and magnitude 7 and over potentially cause serious damage over larger areas, depending on their depth. The largest earthquakes in historic times have been of magnitude slightly over 9, although there is no limit to the possible magnitude. The most recent large earthquake of magnitude 9.0 or larger was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan in 2011 (as of October 2012), and it was the largest Japanese earthquake since records began. Intensity of shaking is measured on the modified Mercalli scale. The shallower an earthquake, the more damage to structures it causes, all else being equal.[1] At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displacement of the ground. When the epicenter of a large earthquake is located offshore, the seabed may be displaced sufficiently to cause a tsunami. Earthquakes can also trigger landslides, and occasionally volcanic activity. In its most general sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event whether natural or caused by humans that generates seismic waves. Earthquakes are caused mostly by rupture of geological faults, but also by other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and nuclear tests. An earthquake's point of initial rupture is called its focus or hypocenter. The epicenter is the point at ground level directly above the hypocenter.

Earthquake Case Study: - Fukishima, Japan 2011


This earthquake occurred where the Pacific Plate is sub ducting under the plate beneath northern Honshu; which plate is a matter of debate amongst scientists. The Pacific plate, which moves at a rate of 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) per year, dips under Honshu's underlying

plate releasing large amounts of energy. This motion pulls the upper plate down until the stress builds up enough to cause a seismic event. The break caused the sea floor to rise by several meters. A quake of this magnitude usually has a rupture length of at least 480 km (300 mi) and generally requires a long, relatively straight fault surface. Because the plate boundary and subduction zone in the area of the rupture is not very straight, it is unusual for the magnitude of an earthquake to exceed 8.5; the magnitude of this earthquake was a surprise to some seismologists. The hypo central region of this earthquake extended from offshore Iwate Prefecture to offshore Ibaraki Prefecture.[ The Japanese Meteorological Agency said that the earthquake may have ruptured the fault zone from Iwate to Ibaraki with a length of 500 km (310 mi) and a width of 200 km (120 mi). Analysis showed that this earthquake consisted of a set of three events.[The earthquake may have had a mechanism similar to that of another large earthquake in 869 with an estimated surface wave magnitude (Ms) of 8.6, which also created a large tsunami. Other major earthquakes with tsunamis struck the Sanriku Coast region in 1896 and in 1933.

Background Info:-

The Earthquake occurred on 11th March 2011 at 2.46 PM (local time) It measured a catastrophic 9.0 on the Richter scale .It is the largest Earthquake to be recorded in Japan in living memory. It was responsible for the loss of roughly 15,400 lives.

The Causes:Japan is located on the eastern edge of the Eurasian Plate. The Pacific Plate, which is an oceanic plate, sub ducts (sinks under) the Eurasian Plate, which is a continental plate, to the east of Japan. This type of plate margin is known as a destructive plate Margi the process of seduction is not smooth. Friction causes the Pacific Plate to stick. In the case of Japan pressure built up and on 11th March 2011 this pressure released as an intensely strong earthquake and a Tsunami with waves of 30 m, travelling at a colossal speed of 800

Kilometres per hour, which is equivalent to the ground speed of a jumbo jet. The Nearest City to the epicentre was Sendai (130 Km east of Sendai).

Damage and effects on different factors: The degree and extent of damage caused by the earthquake and resulting tsunami were enormous, with most of the damage being caused by the tsunami. Video footage of the towns that were worst affected shows little more than piles of rubble, with almost no parts of any structures left standing. Estimates of the cost of the damage range well into the tens of billions of US dollars; before-and-after satellite photographs of devastated regions show immense damage to many regions Although Japan has invested the equivalent of billions of dollars on anti-tsunami seawalls which line at least 40% of its 34,751 km (21,593 mi) coastline and stand up to 12 m (39 ft) high, the tsunami simply washed over the top of some seawalls, collapsing some in the process. A fire which broke out in Tokyo after the earthquake Japan's National Police Agency said on 3 April 2011, that 45,700 buildings were destroyed and 144,300 were damaged by the quake and tsunami. The damaged buildings included 29,500 structures in Miyagi Prefecture, 12,500 in Iwate Prefecture and 2,400 in Fukushima Prefecture. Three hundred hospitals with 20 beds or more in Thoku were damaged by the disaster, with 11 being completely destroyed the earthquake and tsunami created an estimated 2425 million tons of rubble and debris in Japan An estimated 230,000 automobiles and trucks were damaged or destroyed in the disaster. As of the end of May 2011, residents of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures had requested deregistration of 15,000 vehicles, meaning that the owners of those vehicles were writing them off as unrepeatable or unsalvageable

1. Ports
All of Japan's ports were briefly closed after the earthquake, though the ones in Tokyo and southwards soon re-opened. Fifteen ports were located in the disaster zone. The north-eastern ports of Hachinohe, Sendai, Ishinomaki and Onahama were destroyed, while the Port of Chiba (which serves the hydrocarbon industry) and Japan's ninth-largest container port at Kashima were also affected though less severely. The ports at Hitachinaka, Hitachi, Soma, Shiogama, Kesennuma, Ofunato, Kamashi and Miyako were also damaged and closed to ships. All 15 ports reopened to limited ship traffic by 29 March 2011. A total of 319 fishing ports, about 10% of Japan's fishing ports, were damaged in the disaster. Most were restored to operating condition by 18 April 2012 The Port of Tokyo suffered slight damage; the effects of the quake included visible smoke rising from a building in the port with parts of the port areas being flooded, including soil liquefaction in Tokyo Disneyland's parking lot.

2. Dams and water


The Fujinuma irrigation dam in Sukagawa ruptured, causing flooding and washing away five homes. Eight people were missing and four bodies were discovered by the morning.Reportedly, some locals had attempted to repair leaks in the dam before it

completely failed.On 12 March, 252 dams were inspected and it was discovered that six embankment dams had shallow cracks on their crests. The reservoir at one concrete gravity dam suffered a small non-serious slope failure. All damaged dams are functioning with no problems. Four dams within the quake area were unreachable. When the roads clear, experts will be dispatched to conduct further investigations.In the immediate aftermath of the calamity, at least 1.5 million households were reported to have lost access to water supplies. By 21 March 2011, this number fell to 1.04 million.

3. Electricity
According to the Japanese trade ministry, around 4.4 million households served by Thoku Electric Power (TEP) in northeastern Japan were left without electricity. Several nuclear and conventional power plants went offline after the earthquake, reducing TEPCO's total capacity by 21 GW. Rolling blackouts began on 14 March due to power shortages caused by the earthquake The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which normally provides approximately 40 GW of electricity, announced that it can currently provide only about 30 GW. This is because 40% of the electricity used in the greater Tokyo area is now supplied by reactors in the Niigata and Fukushima prefectures. The reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi and Fukushima Dai-ni plants were automatically taken offline when the first earthquake occurred and have sustained major damage related to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Rolling blackouts of approximately three hours were experienced throughout April and May while TEPCO scrambled to find a temporary power solution. The blackouts affected Tokyo, Kanagawa, Eastern Shizuoka, Yamanashi, Chiba, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tochigi, and Gunma prefectures. Voluntary reduced electricity use by consumers in the Kanto area helped reduce the predicted frequency and duration of the blackouts. By 21 March 2011, the number of households in the north without electricity fell to 242,927. Damage to electricity transmission lines Thoku Electric Power was not able to provide the Kanto region with additional power, because TEP's power plants were also damaged in the earthquake. Kansai Electric Power Company (Kepco) cannot share electricity, because its system operates at 60 hertz, whereas TEPCO and TEP operate their systems at 50 hertz; this is due to early industrial and infrastructure development in the 1880s that left Japan without a unified national power grid. Two substations, one in Shizuoka Prefecture and one in Nagano Prefecture, were able to convert between frequencies and transfer electricity from Kansai to Kanto and Thoku, but their capacity to do so is limited to 1 GW. With the damage to so many power plants, it may be years before a long-term solution can be found. In effort to help alleviate the shortage, three steel manufacturers in the Kanto region are contributing electricity produced by their in-house conventional power stations to TEPCO for distribution to the general public. Sumitomo Metal Industries can produce up to 500 MW, JFE Steel 400 MW, and Nippon Steel 500 MW of electric power Auto and auto parts makers in Kanto and Tohoku agreed in May 2011 to operate their factories on Saturdays and Sundays and close on Thursdays and Fridays to assist in alleviating the electricity shortage during the summer of 2011.

4. Oil gas and coal:-

A 220,000-barrel (35,000 m3)-per-day oil refinery of Cosmo Oil Company was set on fire by the quake at Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture, to the east of Tokyo. It was extinguished after ten days, killing or injuring six people, and destroying storage tanks. Others halted production due to safety checks and power loss. In Sendai, a 145,000-barrel (23,100 m3)-per-day refinery owned by the largest refiner in Japan, JX Nippon Oil & Energy, was also set ablaze by the quake. Workers were evacuated, but tsunami warnings hindered efforts to extinguish the fire until 14 March, when officials planned to do so. An analyst estimates that consumption of various types of oil may increase by as much as 300,000 barrels (48,000 m3) per day (as well as LNG), as back-up power plants burning fossil fuels try to compensate for the loss of 11 GW of Japan's nuclear power capacity. The city-owned plant for importing liquefied natural gas in Sendai was severely damaged, and supplies were halted for at least a month.

5. Nuclear power plants


Further information: 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents

The Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini, Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant and Tkai nuclear power stations, consisting of a total eleven reactors, were automatically shut down following the earthquake. Higashidri, also on the northeast coast, was already shut down for a periodic inspection. Cooling is needed to remove decay heat after a reactor has been shut down, and to maintain spent fuel pools. The backup cooling process is powered by emergency diesel generators at the plants and at Rokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant. At Fukushima Daiichi and Daini tsunami waves overtopped seawalls and destroyed diesel backup power systems, leading to severe problems at Fukushima Daiichi, including three large explosions and radioactive leakage. Over 200,000 people were evacuated. The 7 April aftershock caused the loss of external power to Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant and Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant but backup generators were functional. Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant lost 3 of 4 external power lines and lost cooling function for as much as 80 minutes. A spill of a couple liters of radioactive water occurred at Onagawa. Europe's Energy Commissioner Gnther Oettinger addressed the European Parliament on 15 March, explaining that the nuclear disaster was an "apocalypse". As the nuclear crisis entered a second month, experts recognized that Fukushima Daiichi is not the worst nuclear accident ever, but it is the most complicated. Nuclear experts stated that Fukushima will go down in history as the second-worst nuclear accident ever.... while not as bad as Chernobyl disaster, worse than Three Mile Island accident. It could take months or years to learn how damaging the release of dangerous isotopes has been to human health and food supplies, and the surrounding countryside. Later analysis indicated three reactors (Units 1, 2, and 3) had suffered meltdowns and continued to leak coolant water, and by summer the Vice-minister for Economy, Trade and Industry, the head of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and the head of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, had lost their jobs.
Fukushima meltdowns

Main articles: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and Timeline of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disasterLoose livestock roam the evacuation zoneJapan declared a state of emergency following the failure of the cooling system at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in the evacuation of nearby residents. Officials from the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency reported that radiation levels inside the plant were up to 1,000 times normal levels, and that radiation levels outside the plant were up to 8 times normal levels. Later, a state of emergency was also declared at the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant about 11 km (7 mi) south. This brought the total number of problematic reactors to six.

It was reported that radioactive iodine was detected in the tap water in Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, and Niigata, and radioactive cesium in the tap water in Fukushima, Tochigi and Gunma. Radioactive cesium, iodine, and strontiumwere also detected in the soil in some places in Fukushima. There may be a need to replace the contaminated soil. Many radioactive hotspots were found outside the evacuation zone, including Tokyo. Food products were also found contaminated by radioactive matter in several places in Japan On 5 April 2011, the government of the Ibaraki Prefecture banned the fishing of sand lance after discovering that this species was contaminated by radioactive cesium above legal limits. As late as July radioactive beef was found for sale at Tokyo markets. Incidents elsewhereA fire occurred in the turbine section of the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant following the earthquake. The blaze was in a building housing the turbine, which is sited separately from the plant's reactor, and was soon extinguished. The plant was shut down as a precaution. On 13 March the lowest-level state of emergency was declared regarding the Onagawa plant as radioactivity readings temporarily exceeded allowed levels in the area of the plant. Tohoku Electric Power Co. stated this may have been due to radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accidents but was not from the Onagawa plant itself. As a result of the 7 April aftershock, Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant lost 3 of 4 external power lines and lost cooling function for as much as 80 minutes. A spill of a couple liters of radioactive water occurred at Onagawa. The number 2 reactor at Tkai Nuclear Power Plant was shut down automatically. On 14 March it was reported that a cooling system pump for this reactor had stopped working; however, the Japan Atomic Power Company stated that there was a second operational pump sustaining the cooling systems, but that two of three diesel generators used to power the cooling system were out of order.

6. Wind power
None of Japan's commercial wind turbines, totaling over 2300 MW in nameplate capacity, failed as a result of the earthquake and tsunami, including the Kamisu offshore wind farm directly hit by the tsunami.

7. Transport
with an estimated 20,000 people stranded at major stations across the city. In the hours after the earthquake, some train services were resumed. Most Tokyo area train lines resumed full service by the next day12 March.A highway bridge damaged and severedJapan's transport network suffered severe disruptions. Many sections of Thoku Expressway serving northern

Japan were damaged. The expressway did not reopen to general public use until 24 March 2011. All railway services were suspended in Tokyo. Twenty thousand stranded visitors spent the night of 1112 March inside Tokyo Disneyland. A tsunami wave flooded Sendai Airport at 15:55 JST, about 1 hour after the initial quake, causing severe damage. Narita and Haneda Airport both briefly suspended operations after the quake, but suffered little damage and reopened within 24 hours. Eleven airliners bound for Narita were diverted to nearby Yokota Air Base. Remains of Shinchi StationVarious train services around Japan were also canceled, with JR East suspending all services for the rest of the day. Four trains on coastal lines were reported as being out of contact with operators; one, a four-car train on the Senseki Line, was found to have derailed, and its occupants were rescued shortly after 8 am the next morning. MinamiKesennuma Station on the Kesennuma Line was obliterated save for its platform; 62 of 70 (31 of 35) JR East train lines suffered damage to some degree; in the worst-hit areas, 23 stations on 7 lines were washed away, with damage or loss of track in 680 locations and the 30-km radius around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant unable to be assessed. There were no derailments of Shinkansen bullet train services in and out of Tokyo, but their services were also suspended. The Tkaid Shinkansen resumed limited service late in the day and was back to its normal schedule by the next day, while the Jetsu and Nagano Shinkansen resumed services late on 12 March. Services on Yamagata Shinkansen resumed with limited numbers of trains on 31 March. The Thoku Shinkansen line was worst hit, with JR East estimating that 1,100 sections of the line, varying from collapsed station roofs to bent power pylons, will need repairs. Services on the Thoku Shinkansen partially resumed only in Kant area on 15 March, with one round-trip service per hour between Tokyo and NasuShiobara, and Thoku area service partially resumed on 22 March between Morioka and Shin-Aomori. Services on Akita Shinkansen resumed with limited numbers of trains on 18 March. Service between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori was restored by May, but at lower speeds due to ongoing restoration work; the pre-earthquake timetable was not reinstated until late September. Train washed away uphill from Onagawa StationThe rolling blackouts brought on by the crises at the nuclear power plants in Fukushima had a profound effect on the rail networks around Tokyo starting on 14 March. Major railways began running trains at 1020 minute intervals, rather than the usual 35 minute intervals, operating some lines only at rush hour and completely shutting down others; notably, the Tokaido Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Sobu Main Line and Ch-Sbu Line were all stopped for the day.[288] This led to near-paralysis within the capital, with long lines at train stations and many people unable to come to work or get home. Railway operators gradually increased capacity over the next few days, until running at approximately 80% capacity by 17 March and relieving the worst of the passenger congestion.

8. Telecommunications
Damaged utility pole in IshinomakiCellular and landline phone service suffered major disruptions in the affected area. On the day of the quake, American broadcaster NPR was unable to reach anyone in Sendai with working phone or Internet. Internet services were largely unaffected in areas where basic infrastructure remained, despite the earthquake having damaged portions of several undersea cable systems landing in the affected regions; these systems were able to reroute around affected segments onto redundant links. Within Japan, only a few websites were initially unreachable. Several Wi-Fi hotspot providers reacted to the quake by providing free access to their networks, and some American telecommunications and VoIP companies such as AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobileand VoIP companies such as netTALK and Vonage have offered free calls to (and in some cases, from) Japan for a limited time, as did Germany's Deutsche Telekom.

9. Defense
Matsushima Air Field of the Japan Self-Defense Force in Miyagi Prefecture was struck by the tsunami, flooding the base and resulting in damage to all 18 Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jets of the 21st Fighter Training Squadron. 12 of the aircraft were scrapped, while the remaining 6 were slated for repair at a cost of 80 billion yen ($1 billion), exceeding the original cost of the aircraft. At the 2nd Regional Headquarters of the Japan Coast Guard in Shiogama, Miyagi, 2 patrol boats were swept away.

10. Space center


JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) evacuated the Tsukuba Space Center in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. The Center, which houses a control room for part of the International Space Station, was shut down and some damage was reported. The Tsukuba control center resumed full operations for the space station's Kibo laboratory and the HTV cargo craft on 21 March 2011.

Primary Impacts:15,400 People were killed.2 Million People were left homeless as a result of the Tsunami.4 Trains were swept away from their Tracks .A Cruise Ship, carrying 100 people was washed away by the sheer force of the waves .A dam in the north of Fukishima prefecture burst its banks, which caused many more homes to be swept away. Power lines and Gas and water services were severely disrupted, as the earthquake ruptured under-ground cables and pipes. The Public telephone system was knocked out, with no signal for mobile phones and internet.

Secondary Impacts:-

500,000 People were forced to live in shelters. The disruption caused to rail and road links meant that it was hard for rescue teams to reach places where it was needed. The damage to the underground gas pipes led to fires which spread quickly and ignited wood carried by the wave. As clean water was scarce, waterborne diseases such as Cholera and Typhoid spread rapidly. The earthquake caused a power cut at Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant which caused a failure in its cooling system, and subsequently caused radioactive materials to escape, causing local radioactivity levels to increase up to 40,000 times than normal. This will for years to come have a long lasting impact on the health of the local people. This Catastrophic disaster had many serious impacts on Japans economy as on 12th March, Japan lost over 90 billion in its shares. The Total Cost to re-build the areas affected was set at 185 billion.

Short-term Responses:Within minutes of the Tsunami, Japan alerted its emergency response teams. An estimated 100,000 people began the disaster relief mission. The Japanese Red-Cross mobilised 230 emergency teams to the worst affected areas to provide medical and moral support to victims. On 2nd April, Japan and the USA joined forces to search for bodies along the eastern coast. Shelters were set up in schools for those who lived in close proximity to the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Many NGOs (Non-governmental organisations) responded to

the hazard. For example: Shelter box sent 1,500 boxes of aid (Tents, Sleeping bags and bottled water) within the first month of the disaster.

Long-term Responses:

In March, Japans Meteorological agency issued an earthquake warning, followed by a Tsunami warning. This meant that many people were able to escape to higher ground, but the short time (20 minutes), meant that thousands could not escape. The Japanese government responded to this disaster by questioning their huge walls and Tsunami floodgates as they did not prove to be very effective. The Government also responded to this disaster by reviewing their methods on predicting earthquakes and tsunamis as well as cutting short the time between the disaster and the response by improving communications and Sirens.

Factors affecting the damage caused:Strength & Depth of the Earthquake: As the earthquake was a mighty 9.0 on the Richter scale, the damage was bound to be severe. Also the point at which the earthquake happened (The FOCUS) was relatively shallow (30 KM deep), which is the reason why the Tsunami travelled at such speed and caused so much damage. Population density: As the epicentre of this earthquake was in close proximity to Sendai, a largely populated city, the damage caused was far greater as there are more potential fatalities such as, falling skyscrapers and Leaking oil pipes. Type of buildings: As Japan is on the Ring of Fire, most of the buildings are Quakesafe, although there are less than there are in Tokyo, which is why the damage was vast. Time of Day: As the Japan Earthquake occurred at 2.46 in the afternoon, there was more damage than there would of been at 7.00 in the evening as there are more people in commercial and industrial areas in the day. Alternatively, this earthquake could have caused even more damage if it occurred in the evening, when less people are aware and alert. Secondary Hazards: The Death toll could of also been inflated in Japan because of the subsequent Tsunami caused which completely drowned the eastern coast of Japan, which lead to death by water-borne diseases as well as drowning and Fires.

Taking Earthquake Safety Precautions


There is no effective warning system for earthquakes, which makes preliminary precautions even more critical. At the same time, knowing how to behave when a quake strikes and what to do after the event is just as important to staying safe.

Before an Earthquake
There are many things families and individuals can do to prepare for an earthquake, including the following:

Install latches on cupboard doors to prevent them from opening during a quake. Use non-skid shelf liners for kitchen and bathroom cupboards, medicine cabinets, and closet shelves. Store heavy items or glassware in lower cabinets so they do not become dangerous projectiles. Update home insurance policies to adequately cover building costs, possession replacement, and injury deductibles. Secure large appliances such as refrigerators, water heaters, air conditioners, and other bulky items with straps, bolts, and other stabilizing methods. Be sure both old and new buildings meet earthquake construction requirements. Do not put heavy artwork, mirrors, or shelves over beds. Firmly secure bookcases, artwork, mounted televisions and other objects to withstand as much shaking as possible. Take clear photos of valuables as a record for insurance purposes. Prepare an earthquake emergency kit with non-perishable food, bottled water, copies of important documents (birth certificates, prescriptions, insurance papers, etc.), flashlights, first aid materials, blankets, spare glasses, and other essential items and store it where it will be easily accessible in case of a quake. Keep cell phones charged and replace emergency kit supplies as necessary to keep them usable. Plan alternative commuting routes in case an earthquake damages roads. Set up a family meeting location in a safe area. Teach all family members basic first aid, how to behave during a quake, and what to do after a quake.

During an Earthquake
Earthquakes can last just a few seconds or as long as several minutes, and knowing how to react during the quake can help prevent injuries:

Immediately seek a safe location such as in a doorway (if you live in an old, adobe house that is not reinforced), beneath a table or desk, or along an interior wall away from windows or hazardous objects. Cover the back of your head and your eyes to minimize injury from flying debris. Do not take elevators during an earthquake. If cooking, turn off heating elements immediately. If outdoors, stay in open areas away from buildings, power lines, trees, and other potential hazards. If driving, stop quickly but safely and stay in the vehicle. Do not stop near power lines, bridges, overpasses, or other potentially dangerous locations. Stay calm and brace yourself to keep your balance, sitting if possible.

After an Earthquake

Quick thinking after an earthquake hits can minimize immediate dangers. Proper earthquake safety precautions after a tremor include the following:

Be prepared for aftershocks, which may be stronger than the initial jolt. Tend injuries immediately and summon emergency assistance if necessary. Check for structural damage, but do not enter a building that shows damage or has visible cracks in the walls or foundation. Wear shoes at all times to avoid stepping on broken glass. Turn off gas, electricity, and water if damage is suspected or if advised to do so by authorities. Be cautious opening cabinets, cupboards, and closets in case items may be poised to fall. Keep phone lines clear for emergency use. Be patient: It may take hours or days to restore all services depending on the severity of the quake.

Additional Disasters to Prepare For


Earthquakes can trigger additional emergencies, and individuals should also be prepared to contend with these related natural hazards:

Tsunamis near coastal areas Landslides or mudslides in mountainous regions Fires if gas lines are ruptured or power lines spark blazes Flooding if dams break or rivers are diverted

These hazards will vary based on where the earthquake hits and how strong it is, but thorough safety precautions will address these additional disasters if necessary.

Being Prepared Can Mean the Difference Between Life and Death
An earthquake can be a terrifying event. By taking proper safety precautions, you can help limit that terror through careful planning and organization. Hold occasional earthquake drills so your family knows exactly what they should do in the event a quake strikes. This will increase the odds that everyone survives unharmed.

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