California Case Study

LOCATION: California is on the west coast of the USA, next to the Pacific Ocean. 

HAZARDS: - California lies on a conservative plate boundary of the Pacific and North American plates. The main fault line is the San Andres Fault. As it is a conservative plate boundry there are no volcanoes, but there are eathquakes. 

- California has high temperatures and a dry climate, so suffers from drought and forest fires. 

- In El Nino years California often suffers from flooding. 

California is in an MEDC so has a large capacity to deal with disasters. 

(Earthquakes cannot be accuratly predicted so no warning systems)

CASE STUDIES: Northridge Earthquake, 1994

-  4.31 am, 17th January 1994

- Magnitude of 6.7 sticking in the densely populated area of San Fernando Valley in northern Los Angles

- Thousands of aftershocks, mostly of a magnitude between 4.00 and 5.00 during the following weeks

- 57 people died, over 1 500 were seriously injured 

- 12 500 buildings were damaged; 25% severe to moderate damage

- 9 000 people were left without electricity for several days after; 20…