Earthquake Case Studies

Date: Saturday 24th of February, 2010, 3:30am

Location: Offshore of Chile, Pacific Ocean - 70 miles North East of the second city of Conception

Richter: 8.8

Primary

• 708 dead
• 1.5 million people affected
• 500,000 homes destroyed
• Roads and bridges collapsed
• 90% of Curico was destroyed

Secondary

• It became very difficult to reach people who had suffered during the quake
• Troops were deployed as well as army
• A curfew was established to prevent crime
• A tsunami - 1m+ high - hit Japan 24 hours later
• The port was severly damaged
• The 'Ring of Fire' warning system was improved

• The curfew and troops were put in place in order to prevet looting
• There was an immediate release of emergency funds for those effected
• The USA gave huge support both in terms of money and physical presence

Date: Tuesday 12th of January 2010, 4:53pm

Margin: Caribbean and North American

Location: 10 miles from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Caribbean - Dominican Republic

Richter: 7.0

Primary

• Roughly 316,000 peple died due to the earthquake
• 250,000 residencies and 30,000 commercial buildings either collapsed or became seriously damaged
• Schools and hospitals were also damaged/flattened
• In total, 3 million people were affected

Secondary

• There were a total of 52 aftershock = 4.5 richter
• The port was significantly damaged - ship deliveries became impossible

• Many countries were involved in aid (US)- humanitarian, pledging funds, dispatching rescue, medical teams
• The Red Cross dispatched a relief team
• UN World food programme flew in two planes with emergency aid
• UN secretary general released £6.15 million

Date: Monday 6th April 2009, 3:30am local time

Location: The epicentre was close to the city of L'Aquila - 60 miles North East of Rome

Richter: 5.9

Primary

• 308 people known to have died
• 10,000-15,000 buildings were destroyed
• Aprox 1,500 people injured
• Many streets inpassable due to fallen masonry
• Aftershocks for 2 days
• National Museum collapsed

Secondary

• 40,000 homeless - in tented camps
• 10,000 housed in hotels on the coast
• Billionaire PM said he would offer his own house to some survivors
• Discovery of how poorly built some buildings were - some made of sand

• People had to clear and move the debris that littereed the streets by hand - mix of civilians and trained professionals
• Shelter tents were provided in massive camps
• Coffins were lined up in fields
• 4,000 rescuers deployed
• 4,000 beds in hotels reserved for survivors
• PM told inhabitants to treat it like a weekend camping "go to the beach"

Date: 22nd of February 2011, 12:51pm local time

Location: Cantebury region of New Zealand's South Island - epicentre was 2km west of the port town of Lyttelton

Richter: 5.9

Primary

• 5,000 were left with no power
• 181 are estimated to have been killed
• Magnitude was 7.1 - Worst natural disaster to hit area in 80 years
• 30 people were trapped in Pyne Gold Guinness building
• Liquefaction - produced 400,000 tonnes of silt
• Road surfaces were forced up by liquefaction - water and sand pouring out - surface flooding
• 2 buses were crushed by falling buildings

Secondary

• 10,00 houses and 1,000 commercial buildings needed demolishing
• 50,000 people were without power for several days
• No water supplied to victims

• Recovery cost $15 billion (NZ dollars)
• 50,000 residents relocated to other countries
• Evacuation of buildings
• Global insurance premiums needed to inc. to cover payout
• Japanese search and rescue squads
• An inquiry into the structure and safety of remaining buildings - 45% of buildings given yellow sticker
• fire officias deployed as well as police and rescue squads