EARTHQUAKE

Earthquake
is the perceptible shaking of the
surface of the Earth, which can be
violent enough to destroy major
buildings and kill thousands of
people. The severity of the shaking
can range from barely felt to violent
enough to toss people around.
Earthquakes have destroyed whole
cities.

Causes of Earthquake
Earthquakes are
usually caused when rock
underground suddenly breaks
along a fault. This sudden release
of energy causes the seismicwaves
that make the ground shake. When
two blocks of rock or two plates are
rubbing against each other, they
stick a little.

How to Prepare for

an Earthquake?

Step 1:

Secure your space by identifying

hazards and securing moveable
items.

Step 2:

Plan to be safe by creating a

disaster plan and deciding how
you will communicate in an
emergency.

Step 3:

Organize disaster supplies in

convenient locations.

Step 4:

Minimize financial hardship by

organizing important
documents, strengthening your
property, and considering
insurance.

Step 5:

Drop, Cover, and Hold On when

the earth shakes.

Step 6:

Improve safety after earthquakes

by evacuating if necessary, helping
the injured, and preventing further
injuries or damage.

Step 7:

Reconnect and Restore

Restore daily life by reconnecting
with others, repairing damage, and
rebuilding community.

5 Worst Earthquakes
in History

1. Valdivia, Chile
When it comes to the earthquakes
magnitude, the 1960 Valdivia
earthquake takes the cake at 9.5, which
was equivalent to a massive 178Gigatons of power. This can be
comparable to 1,000 atomic bombs
going off at the same time. The
earthquake was not only felt in Valdivia
but also reached Hawaii, at a distance
of 435 miles. While only 6,000 people
died in the catastrophe, it incurred more
than $1 billion worth of damages.

Valdivia, Chile

2. Haiyuan County, China

Also called the 1920 Gansu Earthquake, this
disaster happened in Haiyuan County,
Ningxia. Though there were conflicting reports
on its magnitude and death toll, as both the
Chinese government and the United States
Geological Survey (USGS) published different
reports, it still brought catastrophic effects that
were felt for over 125 miles and aftershocks
that lasted over 3 years. The December 16,
1920 quake has conflicting magnitudes of 7.8
and 8.5 and death tolls of 200,000 or
240,000.

Haiyuan County, China

3. Kashmir, Pakistan
The October 8, 2005 Kashmir, Pakistan
was visited by an earthquake with a
moment magnitude of 7.6.The disaster
had a death toll of 85,000 and more than
69,000 were injured. Considered to be
smaller in size than the 1906 San
Francisco earthquake, it affected
countries in surrounding regions with
14,000 deaths in Jammu and tremors felt
in Taijikistan and western China. It also
cost a staggering $5.4 billion in aids from
all around the world.

Kashmir, Pakistan

4. Izmit, Turkey
This was a 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck
northern Turkey on August 17, 1990, which
lasted for only 3.7 seconds. The city of Izmit
was very badly damaged and had a death toll of
17,127 and 43, 959 injured though other
sources suggested that the actual figure for
fatalities may be closer to 45,000 with a similar
number of injured. Another report from
September 1999 showed that the earthquake
had destroyed 120,000 poorly-engineered
houses, heavily damaged 50,000 houses;
caused 2,000 buildings to collapse while 4,000
other buildings left severely damaged, and
made more than 300,000 people homeless.

Izmit, Turkey

5. Nepal Earthquake
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal in an
area between the capital, Kathmandu, and
the city of Pokhara on Saturday April 25, 2015
with what has been described as a force
equaling that of 20 thermonuclear weapons.
The devastation claimed the lives of at least
5,000 people while injuring 10,000 more with
authorities warning that casualty numbers
could rise. The devastating quake also
destroyed major monuments such as the
Dharahara tower, temples and world heritage
sites near Kathmandu.

Nepal Earthquake

Its better to be
safe than sorry

Group 7
Patrick Gonzales
Aizel Nulud
Naomi Ruth Rodriguez

-NRBR