LO4: Case Studies (EQ)

Haiti Earthquake background information

• One of the poorest countries

• Transform pb

• 12th January 2010

• 7 magnitude

• Afterschocks 5.5 - 6 mw for days

• Port-au-price was densely populated (2.4mn)

Haiti Earthquake primary impacts

• 250,000 injured

• 316,000 died

• 1.5 million people were displaced

Haiti Earthquake secondary impacts

• 23,500 landslides were triggered

• Docks in port-au-prince experienced liquefaction and the port sank into the ground (limited aid coming in)

• 3m high Tsunami along the bay and 3 died

• Port-au-prince UN peacekeepers caused a cholera outbreak in an evacuation camp and 10,000 people died

Haiti Earthquake short-term response

• Very poor

• Destruction of many hospitals so less patients coould be cured

• Survivors moved to camps with little food, water and sanitation

• Corruption in the government so aid wasn’t spread out equally

Haiti Earthquake long-term response

• 200,000 paid to clear rubble

• ¾ damaged buildings were inspected and repaired but using vulnerable items

• Money abroad was pledged (300 million euros from the EU)

• 235,000 moved from Port-au-prince top local undamaged cities

Haiti Earthquake preparation

• Lower technology Earthquake proof buildings due to lack of development

• GDP/capita of 1172 dollars, very poor

• Only 2 fire stations and had no army at the time

• There hadn’t been an earthquake in 100 years so nobody knew what to do, people ran into homes as thats what they did for hurricanes but it increased the death toll.

Haiti Earthquake prediction

• Unable to predict Earthquakes

Japan Earthquake background information

• 11th March 2011

• Magnitude of 9

• Strongest ever Earthquake in Japans history with aftershocks of 6-7

Japan Earthquake primary impacts

• 130,000 displaced

• 667 - 1479 deaths from Earthquake

• 5000 injured or reported missing

• 2000 roads, 56 bridges and 26 railway lines were damaged / destroyed

• Around 300 billion dollars worth of damage

• Fukushima dam burst , contaminating soil and water.

• Power to fukushima power plant cut so nuclear meltdown as the cooling system failed, releasing much radiation

Japan Earthquake secondary impacts

• Tsunami caused with speeds of 800km/h, waves of 10m and flooded 10km inland. 17,000 deaths with half over 65

• Electricity, water and sewage systems and lines were damaged

Japan Earthquake short term response

• Advanced warnings issued to evacuate tsunami (pacific tsunami warning centre)

• Requested aid from china, india and the USA

• Sent search and rescue teams

• Tens of thousands temporary homes set up in Sendai

• 140,000 evacuated from a 20m radius around fukushima power plant

Japan Earthquake long term response

• Honshu transport and communications partially restored weeks after the tsunami

• 10 year restoration program announced in 2012 but most completed in 2015

• New sea wall built near coastline

Japan Earthquake preparation

• Around 80% of japanese buildings have some sort of aseismic building features

• Emergency services trained to response to EQs

• Locals educated on how to evacuate and respond

• September 1st (National Disaster Prevention Day)

Japan Earthquake prediction

• Earthquakes cannot be predicted