TWO EARTHQUAKES COMPARED – NEPAL AND L’AQUILA

Comparing the effects of earthquakes

The effects of earthquakes and responses to them vary between areas of different levels of wealth. In this example, we will examine the differences between the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, a low-income country (LIC) and the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy, a high-income country (HIC).

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal occurred on 25th April 2015. Its epicentre was 80km northwest of the capital city, Kathmandu. The 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila, Italy, was 6.3 on the Richter Scale and occurred 7km north-west of the settlement.

PRIMARY EFFECTS OF AN EARTHQUAKE

This is what happens directly as the result of an earthquake, such as death, injury and damage to infrastructure.

• 8692 people died and approximately 20000 were injured

• Almost three million people were made homeless

• Seven thousand schools were destroyed

• The cost of the damage was estimated to be around US$5 billion

SECONDARY EFFECTS OF AN EARTHQUAKE

These are the effects that happen due to the primary effects of a volcano or earthquake. They can happen hours, days or weeks after, such as fires, landslides and the spread of disease.

• An avalanche was triggered on Mout Everest killing 19 people

• Landslides occurred along steep valleys. 250 people were killed when the village of Ghodatabela was covered in material.

• People were evacuated due to the risk of flooding when a landslide blocked the Kali Gandaki River

IMMEDIATE RESPONSES

Immediate responses are how people reacted in the days and weeks immediately after the disaster happened. 

• Rescue teams, medical support and water was provided by The UK, China and India

• US$126 million was raised in international aid by The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)

• 500000 temporary shelters were set up

• The United Nations and World Health Organisation distributed medical supplies

LONG-TERM RESPONSES

Long-term responses go on for months and years after a disaster. 

• Buildings were constructed from to stricter codes

• Homeless people were re-housed and 7000 schools were re-built

• Base camp at Mount Everest was repaired so climbers could return (this is a valuable source of income for Nepal)

• Areas affected by landslides were cleared and roads were repaired

  Typhoon Haiyan Case Study

  What were the primary effects of Typhoon Haiyan?

  Typhoon Haiyan, a category five typhoon, struck the Philippines, close to Tacloban on 8th November, 2013 at 4.40 am. The tropical storm originated in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most powerful typhoons to affect the Philippines. Wind speeds of 314 kilometres per hour (195 miles per hour) were recorded.

  

  Typhoon Haiyan

  The primary effects of Typhoon Haiyan were:

  • strong winds battered homes

  • people were made homeless, particularly around Western and Eastern Visayas

  • electric was interrupted

  • airport badly damaged

  • roads were blocked by fallen trees and other debris

  • Leyte and Tacloban experienced a 5-metre storm surge, and 400mm of rainfall flooded an area of up to 1km inland

  • 90% of Tacloban was destroyed

  • 6190 people died

  • 29,000 people were injured

  • 4.1 million people were made homeless

  • 14.1 million people affected

  • The overall cost of damage was around $12 billion

  • 1.1 million tonnes of crops destroyed

  • 1.1 million houses damaged

  • 1 million farmers and 600,000 hectares of farmland affected

  The strong winds battered homes and even the evacuation centre buildings. Those made homeless were mainly in the Western and Eastern Visayas. Power was interrupted, the airport was severely damaged, and trees and debris blocked roads. Leyte and Tacloban had a five-metre storm surge, and 400 millimetres of heavy rainfall flooded one kilometre inland. Ninety per cent of the city of Tacloban was destroyed.

  

  Debris lines the streets of Tacloban, Leyte island. This region was the worst affected by the typhoon, causing widespread damage and loss of life. Caritas responds by distributing food, shelter, hygiene kits and cooking utensils. (Photo: Eoghan Rice – Trócaire / Caritas)

  Although the harvest season was over, rice and seed stocks were squandered in the storm surges, leading to a $53 million US dollars loss.

  Over one-third of farmers and fishers lost their income, leading to a total loss of $724 million.

  What were the secondary effects?

  Social effects

  • Infection and diseases spread, mainly due to contaminated surface and ground water.

  • Survivors fought for food and supplies. Eight people died in a stampede for food supplies.

  • Power supplies were cut off for months in some areas.

  • Education was disrupted as many schools were destroyed.

  • Seawater, chemicals and sewerage contaminated surface and groundwater.

  Economic effects

  • An oil tanker ran aground, causing an 800,000-litre oil leak that contaminated fishing waters.

  • The airport was badly damaged and roads were blocked by debris and trees.

  • Looting was rife, due to the lack of food and supplies.

  • Rice prices had risen by nearly 12% by 2014.

  Environmental effects

  • The leak from the oil barge led to ten hectares of mangroves being contaminated.

  • Flooding caused landslides.

  What were the immediate responses?

  The government issued a televised warning to people to prepare and evacuate.

  Eight hundred thousand people were evacuated following a televised warning by the president. Many people found refuge in a stadium in Tacloban. However, many people died when it was flooded. The government provided essential equipment and medical supplies. A curfew was introduced two days after the typhoon to reduce looting.

  Over 1,200 evacuation centres were set up to help the homeless.

  Three days after the storm, the main airport was reopened, and emergency aid arrived. Power was restored in some regions after a week. One million food packs and 250,000 litres of water were distributed within two weeks.

  Over $1.5 billion of foreign aid was pledged. Thirty-three countries and international organisations promised help, with rescue operations and an estimated US $ 88.871 million.

  What were the long-term responses?

  A cash for work programme paid people to clear debris and rebuild Tacloban.

  The international charity organisation Oxfam replaced fishing boats.

  Build Back Better is the government’s response to the typhoon. Launched in 2014, it intended to upgrade damaged buildings to protect them from future disasters. They have also set up a no-build zone along the coast in Eastern Visayas, a new storm surge warning system has been developed, and mangroves replanted to absorb future storm surges.

  Beast from the East – Extreme weather in the UK

  WHAT CAUSED THE BEAST FROM THE EAST?

  Under normal circumstances, winters in the UK are mild compared to some places on the same latitude because of the jet stream, a warm air mass travelling across the Atlantic Ocean from Mexico to the UK. However, in February 2018, a meteorological event called stratospheric warming disturbed the jet stream – allowing cold winds from Russia to travel as far as the UK.

  At this time of year, there is usually a polar vortex – a large mass of cold air – in the upper atmosphere, also known as the stratosphere. This vortex is what usually causes air to move from west to east. However, there was a considerable rise in air temperature of around 50°C 18 miles above the Earth at the North Pole. Sudden stratospheric warming caused a weakening of the jet stream, leading to a change in the direction of the winds approaching the UK from west to east to east to west, allowing a cold air mass (polar continental air mass) from Russia to cover The UK.

  

  Air masses affecting the UK – source: Met Office

  When the air left Siberia, Russia, it was around -50°C. By the time it reached the UK, it was just below freezing, though this was still cold for the time of year. In addition, the air mass picked up water over the North Sea, which resulted in a heavy snowfall when it reached The UK.

  THE BEAST FROM THE EAST MEETS STORM EMMA

  Storm Emma was a weather system originating from the Azores and travelling north to the UK. On 1st March 2018, the weather front brought blizzards, gales and sleet as it hit the cold air brought down by the Beast from the East. As a result, the Met Office issued a series of red warnings for southern England. Storm Emma would instead have caused wet and windy conditions without the cold air if temperatures were closer to average.

  PRIMARY IMPACTS OF THE BEAST FROM THE EAST

  • Ten people died

  • Up to 50cms of snow fell on high ground

  • Rural (countryside) areas experienced temperature lows of up to -12°C

  SECONDARY IMPACTS OF THE BEAST FROM THE EAST

  • Hundreds of schools were forced to close

  • Thousands of schools were closed across the UK, including more than 125 in North Yorkshire and more than 330 across Kent, and hospital operations were cancelled.

  • Many rail services were cancelled.

  • British Airways cancelled hundreds of short-haul flights from Heathrow, and London City Airport also cancelled many services.

  • The National Grid issued a ‘gas deficit warning’ prompting fears of a shortage, but households were reassured domestic supplies would not be affected.

  • Nearly all train operators warned of cancellations and disruption, and hundreds of flights were cancelled.

  • Hundreds of motorists on the M80 near Glasgow were stuck for up to 13 hours, with some spending the night in their cars and others abandoning their vehicles. Around 1,000 vehicles were at a standstill, tailing back eight miles in both directions.

  • There was a shortage of food in some supermarkets.

  • Drifting snow led to the isolation of several villages.

  RESPONSE

  • Red weather warnings were issued covering parts of Scotland, Devon, Somerset, and South Wales, prompting Devon and Cornwall police to declare a major incident. The red weather warning was just the third in seven years.

  • The Environment Agency issued flood warnings for parts of Cornwall’s south coast. Residents were told to expect tides to be around 400 mm.

  • The Royal Air Force was drafted in to help relief efforts in snow-hit Lincolnshire. Ten RAF vehicles and their crews transported doctors and stranded patients after local police admitted they struggled to cope.

  • High on the Pennines on the M62, the military provided support rescuing vehicles.

  • In Edinburgh, soldiers were deployed to help transport about 200 NHS clinical and support staff to and from the Western General Hospital and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.