...extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of earthquakes? Whittow in 1980 defines a hazard as a “perceived natural event which has the potential to threaten both life and property, and a disaster is the realisation of this hazard.” Earth hazards can therefore include all natural events including earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding and mass movement. Due to the very nature of these events “mitigating” (measures taken to reduce the impacts of a hazard beforehand) can be more successful for hazards such as volcanoes which are arguably more predicable than earthquakes and flash flooding. Despite the advances over the past few decades there is no “magic bullet” (Dr Charles Connor) in earth hazard prediction, and therefore mitigation – and the success remains very much dependent upon a number of factors including money available, and the number of vulnerable individuals. Firstly, earthquakes, which are caused by sudden movements of the earth’s crust which result in violent shaking, liquefaction, and in extreme cases tsunamis, can to an extent be prepared for and mitigated for, and this is where money is being channelled into. Preparation and planning involves the retrofitting of buildings to create “earthquake-resistant” societies, aseismic design features (including concrete and steel frames to provide stability), as well as planning exclusion zones and evacuation routes in the case of an earthquake. Earthquake prediction is very closely linked to preparedness as if an event...
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...One” means: a tremendous earthquake that scientists predict will rock the state of California, which sits on the famous San Andreas Fault line, an 800-mile line of weakness that runs through California. Overland, it runs for 625 miles, running north-south from Point Arena in north San Francisco to the border with Mexico. The most risky stretch of this fault, the southern part, passes about 35 miles from Los Angeles. Being the biggest and most populated city closest to the fault, Los Angeles is a high-risky region in the event of a big earthquake. There are over four million residents and 400, 000 businesses within Los Angeles city, an area of 475 square miles. It is one of the City’s greatest responsibilities to protect the public and ensure that all responsible agencies are prepared for immediate response and rescue operations in the event of earthquakes and other related disasters. The starting point, the focus of this press release, is educating the public about the causes of earthquakes, associated disasters, and vulnerability of Los Angeles to future earthquake events. Hazards Associated Earthquakes in Los Angeles The common disasters associated with earthquakes include the disruption of public, social and business activities, as well as destruction of property, and in serious cases, loss of life. In addition, earthquakes destroy infrastructure such as electricity lines, roads, water, and sewage drainage systems. Consequently, if an earthquake strikes it will paralyze...
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...ready for them. The school held an earthquake preparedness headed by Mr. Renato U. Solidum Jr., director of PHIVOLCS- an institute of the government assigned to regulate and monitor volcanic activities as well as earthquake predictions, effects and sources. The aim of this symposium was to inform the students, faculty members, administrators and those of general services of the necessary precautions to prevent further damage that may happen during earthquakes. Information, preparedness and understanding of these natural hazards are needed to reduce the loss of life and limb. An earthquake is the sudden, rapid shaking or rolling of the Earth. In the Philippines, about 20 earthquakes are recorded per day and 200 per year. For the past 400 years, the Philippines had experienced about 90 destructive earthquakes one for every five years. Earthquakes happen because of volcanic activity and tectonic movements. It results to fault rupture, tsunami, ground shaking, liquefaction, landslide and fire. Faults- fractures where earthquake originates, there are different types of fault: strike slip, normal and thrust. Active faults move up & down while trenches move toward each other. The Valley Fault System has two segments, the East Valley Fault the West Valley Fault which covers Quezon, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Pateros, Taguig and Muntinlupa. It has moved four times from the past 1600 years (an average of 400 years) per movement, generating earthquakes of magnitude 7. Magnitude is the...
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...Introduction. Pakistan is located in a region which is prone to number of natural disasters. Due to its diverse range of terrain and existence of fault lines, the country is susceptible to wide ranging hazards from earthquake to droughts and floods to cyclones. Pakistan has suffered floods almost every year as monsoon rains cause rivers to outflow from their banks. The country also experiences earthquake regularly ranging from moderate to severe in intensity. We have been suffering from drought like situation of varying degrees from many years and the coastal areas are prone to cyclones. There is no comprehensive, integrated disaster management policy at national level for dealing with major disasters like earthquake of 2005 and floods of 2010 and 2011 partially due to limited resources, economic instability and partially due to absence of well trained and equipped disaster management infrastructure. We also lack proper system for disaster prevention and preparedness that could ensure effective mitigation to reduce the loss of life and property damage in the face of a natural disaster. 2. Disaster management is unfortunately seen as provision of relief rather than the management of all of its phases and long term management of risk. We therefore need a comprehensive preparedness, prevention and mitigation strategy with a view to better manage and coordinate activities of various line ministries, departments and civil society. Pakistan has a traditional relief and response oriented...
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...Discuss the view that the impact of earthquakes depends primarily on human factors: Earthquakes are caused by movement of tectonic plates that covering the earth’s surface. They occur at all plate boundaries; destructive, constructive and conservative, but the most intense tend to occur at subduction zones and conservative faults, such as the San Andres Fault in California. Every seismic event will be unique, and there are many factors influencing the extent to which it will have an impact on the environment and the populace. In many situations, both physical factors, related to the nature of the event and the topography of the area, and human factors, linked to demography and land use, have an influence on the effects of a hazard. When evaluating the impacts of an earthquake, the demography of an area will almost certainly have a large influence. Clearly, a very densely populated area will be more likely to have a higher death toll or a wider radius of influence than an event occurring in a more sparsely populated area, due to the simple fact that there are more people in the same amount of space to be affected. However it is not just this statistical fact that leads to a more people being affected. In many LEDC’s, the highest population density occurs in slum areas and shanty towns. The people living in these areas are ill equipped to cope with the effects of an earthquake due to a combination of factors, mostly centred around the conditions in which they live. The same is true...
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...Name Tutor Course Date Earthquakes: the Same Effects but Different Responses Introduction When there are faults on the crust of the earth earthquake is investable. Basically, this is the primary cause of the earthquake. Faults lines are cracks that the cracks that slips the earth intensely causing the occurrence of the earthquake. At the hypocenter, or the centre there originates the source of the earthquake. The concerti waves are produced due the earth movement hence defining the intense or the rate of the earthquake. This process however has devastating effects which include change of the river cause, loss of lives and properties as well. Different nations respond to effect and causes of the earthquakes differently depending on many factors but mainly the responses are dependent on the economic status of a given country. Naturally the earth is stable and any kinds of disturbance bring the imbalance of the state of the earth. For example tectonic movements causes the psychical features state of the earth to change. This creates various features which were previously non existence. They include rift valleys, mountains and plateaus. The rocks are also exposed to a lot of pressure and stress beyond what they can contain due to tectonic forces this causes rock breakage causing what commonly known as faults. At times, there are volcanic eruptions which are very violet and bring about eruptions. The volcanic eruptions causes volcano which when blocked may cause...
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...“Earthquakes have affected the Earth since the solid lithosphere first formed” (Marshak, 201). Mankind learned to adapt through numerous earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes since the beginning of time and this survival involved taking substantial risks. According to Marshak, “Earthquakes are a fact of life on planet Earth: almost 1 million detectable earthquakes happen every year…most cause no damage or casualties, because they are too small or they occur in unpopulated areas” (201). There are very few areas one can live on Earth that is free from some form of hazard. Jobs, economic interest, and necessity are but a few reasons people choose to live in unsafe environments. It is okay to live in earthquake prone areas, you just need to educate yourself and prepare. Make sure you have the proper necessities and learn about emergency preparedness for your immediate area. Earthquakes of an enormous magnitude can cause considerable damage and alter lives in unprecedented ways. The bigger they are the more the environment is affected. One such event is “The 2004 Indian Ocean event…etched in people’s minds because of the immense death toll” caused by a tsunami that “was triggered by an earthquake off Sumatra” causing 15m high waves that pounded the coast (Marshak, 224-225). The aftermath (whether an earthquake, tsunami, volcano, or landslide), is displaced persons, causalities and injuries, disease, transportation, emergency and temporary shelters, and supply chain. Marshak, Stephen...
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...Methodology Post-Earthquake Relief Action Contents 1. Abstract 2. Background 3. Literature review 4. Aim 5. Hypothesis 6. Scope 7. Method of Data collection 8. Survey Questionnaire 9. Gujarat’s Vulnerability to Earthquake 10. Case Study: Bhuj Earthquake 11. Drawbacks of the Bhuj earthquake 12. Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) 13. Data Analysis 14. Conclusion 15. Bibliography ABSTRACT India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. This paper emphasis on management during and after an disaster and readiness of the state in response to future earthquakes. BACKGROUND Many Natural Disasters in India have caused havoc to the life and property of citizens and nature as a whole from time to time. These disasters include Cyclones, Floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, Famines, Drought, and Landslides etc. Amongst all the ones mentioned floods and earthquakes are the most common in India...
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...PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF EARTHQUAKES Name Course Professor Date Earthquake Victims In March 11,2011 an earthquake shook Japan and its environs and the 9.0 magnitude earthquake unleashed a savage tsunami. In my findings, the earthquake was found to have rendered over 300,000 people homeless and 18,000 people also reported to have lost their lives mainly by drowning. About 6000 thousand individuals were injured and over 2400 people went missing. Psychological Impacts of Earthquakes Asian Disaster management Centre in Japan stated that there had been several earthquakes like the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in January 1995, Mid Niigata Earthquake in October 2004 and the northeastern Japan earthquakes on 11th March, 2011. Policy on earthquake disasters in japan ensures prompt and elaborate dealing with earthquake disasters through early warnings and evacuations. Though the institution claimed success in the effectiveness of the policy, victims thought otherwise stating that the policy was ineffective since many lives were being lost. Another aspect criticized was the emergency response rebuked for being ill prepared in disaster management. The earthquake raised degrees of stress, depression and other mental illnesses, especially among those who lost their loved ones (Alexander,2005). A visit to therapy institutions dealing with disaster victims A visit to one specific therapy center that deals with kidney problems caused by the earthquake was significant at the moment...
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...Chapter 7: Statutory Authority Chapter Outline 1. Introduction of topics and concepts to be discussed in the chapter. a. Legal basis of modern emergency management in the United States. b. Budget authority. c. Program eligibility. d. Roles and responsibilities. 2. Case Studies a. The National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP): Legislation to Address a Particular Hazard b. The Homeland Security Act of 2002: A New Emergency Management c. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000: A Shift to Pre-Disaster Mitigation 3. Additional Sources of Information 4. Glossary of Terms 5. Acronyms 6. Discussion Questions a. General b. NEHRP c. Homeland Security Act of 2002 d. DMA 2000 7. Suggested Out of Class Exercises Introduction No emergency management system anywhere in the world can properly function without statutory authority and consistent budget appropriations. Statutory authority defines disasters programs, determines who is eligible for these programs, provides the legal support needed to implement disaster programs and establishes the legal foundation for funding the programs and activities of the disaster agency. Without such authority, a government agency is powerless. Legal Basis of Modern Emergency Management in the United States The first recorded emergency management legislation in the United States occurred in 1803 when a Congressional Act was passed to provide financial...
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...have attached several maps in order to see different parts of the land. Map I shows where the county lines are located within Tennessee. You can also see where Memphis is located within the county. Map II shows the elevation levels of the state. As you can see in that map, Memphis is located within the lowest elevation levels of the state. Map III shows the rivers that run throughout the state. The main river that runs between the Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri borders is the Mississippi River. There are several natural disasters that I would consider to be threats to the Memphis area. One natural disaster that I would consider to be a concern to Memphis would be an earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey, (USGS), there is an approximately six percent chance that there will be a major earthquake within 50 kilometers of Memphis in the next 50 years (Homefacts.com)....
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...Earthquake Safety Checklist FEMA 526 / August 2005 FEMA Important Numbers and Addresses Your family may not be together when an earthquake strikes, so use the spaces below to record information that will help you communicate with one another. Remember, during the rst 24 hours following a major earthquake, use your telephone only in case of an emergency. Police telephone Fire Department telephone Ambulance telephone ‘s work address Call 911 for emergencies Telephone/cell phone ‘s work address Telephone/cell phone ‘s school Telephone/cell phone School policy: ❏ Hold student ❏ Release student ‘s school Telephone/cell phone School policy: ❏ Hold student ❏ Release student Name and telephone/cell phone number of an out-of-town relative or friend who can act as a pointof-contact for separated family members: Location of Disaster Supplies Kit: Earthquake Hazards in the United States Highest Hazard Kauai Honolulu Kalawao Lowest Hazard Maui Hawaii Based on U.S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Map for the Coterminous United States (http://eqhazmaps.usgs.gov/html/map_graphic.html). Are You Prepared for the Next Earthquake? This booklet is designed to help you and your family plan for and survive a major earthquake. By taking action to be prepared, you can lessen the impact of an earthquake on your family. Set aside some emergency supplies, and teach your family what to do at home during and after a disaster. You could be...
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...Plate Tectonics Nicole Anderson GLG/220 Dr. A. Kem Fronabarger November 7, 2011 What is an Earthquake and where do they come from? Many people are unaware of what an actual earthquake is and how they come to be. There are several myths that have been created to help people understand how earthquakes have been produced. In Japan, legend has it the earth is shaken by the movement of a giant catfish hidden in the ground. The Chinese believe that the earth is resting on a giant ox, and in India, one myth suggest that the earth was held in place by four elephants, which were standing on top of a giant turtle, which in turn was standing on top of a giant cobra; whenever one animal moved, the earth is shaking (Zerve, 2000). In the 1960’s we finally found the true cause of earthquakes. The theory of plate tectonics was created. This theory suggests that the earth’s crust consists of “plates” that move relative to one another, and seismic activity is associated mostly with this motion (Zerva, 2000). Most of the earthquake sources are located along the boundaries of these plates. Earthquakes can be very hazardous, so it is important to understand how an earthquake happens and the earthquake preparedness techniques. In order to understand the earthquakes and the tectonic plates, we must first understand the earth and its layers. The earth is made up of three layers: the crust, the mantle and the core (Zerva, 2000). The lithosphere is the crust and upper most solid mantle...
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...active seismic region where large earthquakes occur with frequency. At the time of the earthquake, Lisbon was preparing for one of the biggest celebrations in the religious calendar and the city was alive with activity in preparation for the forthcoming commemoration. A strange frightful noise underground was first heard, it sounded like distant rumbling of thunder. The first three shocks were over a ten minute period followed by an even more powerful second shock which sent buildings toppling down. There were two major aftershocks that caused added agony and despair to survivors. The Lisbon earthquakes caused considerable damage not only in Portugal but in Spain, Madrid and Seville. The shock waves were felt throughout Europe and North Africa, over an area of about 1,300,000 square miles. Moe than 18,000 buildings representing about 85% of the total were completely demolished. Over 30,000 people lost their lives in the first two minutes. The total death toll in Lisbon, a city of 230,000, was estimated to be about 90,000. Another 10, 000 people were killed in Morocco. The earthquake had wide-ranging effects on the lives of the populace and intelligentsia. The earthquake had struck on an important church holiday and had destroyed almost every important church in the city, causing anxiety and confusion amongst the citizens of a staunch and devout Roman Catholic city and country, which had been a major patron of the Church. The 1755 earthquake has sometimes been compared to the...
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... Post-Earthquake Relief Action Submitted to, Prof Anuj Bawa By, Shridhar Nayak (CP0812) Romil Sagar (CP1212) Construction and Project Management CEPT University 6th Nov, 2012 Contents 1. Abstract 2. Background 3. Literature review 4. Aim 5. Hypothesis 6. Scope 7. Method of Data collection 8. Survey Questionnaire 9. Gujarat’s Vulnerability to Earthquake 10. Case Study: Bhuj Earthquake 11. Drawbacks of the Bhuj earthquake 12. Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) 13. Data Analysis 14. Conclusion 15. Bibliography ABSTRACT India has been traditionally vulnerable to natural disasters on account of its unique geo-climatic conditions. Floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes and landslides have been recurrent phenomena. About 60% of the landmass is prone to earthquakes of various intensities; over 40 million hectares is prone to floods; about 8% of the total area is prone to cyclones and 68% of the area is susceptible to drought. In the decade 1990-2000, an average of about 4344 people lost their lives and about 30 million people were affected by disasters every year. This paper emphasis on management during and after an disaster and readiness of the state in response to future earthquakes. BACKGROUND Many Natural Disasters in India have caused havoc to the life and property of citizens and nature as a whole from time to time. These disasters include Cyclones, Floods, earthquakes, volcanic...
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