Lessons from Haiti and Chile and How to Prepare for Future Disasters
As Haiti and Chile move from disaster response to recovery–and after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook northern Mexico and southern California Sunday–it is time to step back and extract larger lessons from the quakes in Haiti and Chile. The first lesson is that Haiti and Chile are worlds apart. In its 2009 Human Development Index, […]
Christchurch Satellite Imagery
Figure 1. Figure 1 shows satellite imagery of Christchurch two days after the M6.3 earthquake hit. To use this imagery, you’ll need to install Google Earth. After you have it installed, open the following files: Central and Northern Christchurch (1KB KMZ) Southern Christchurch (1 KB KMZ) You can turn this image layer on and off […]
“Grief is the Price We Pay for Love”: The National Christchurch Memorial Service
People began flowing into the park early in the day. As families and friends spread out blankets and cushions to sit on, various local musicians and Maori artists performed musical tributes. Salvation Army and National Welfare volunteers roamed the crowd, handing out tissues in preparation for what everyone knew would be a solemn and tearful […]
Initial economic loss estimates
Telecommunications
From: “Why didn’t cellphones work?”, Politico, David Saleh Rauf The technological traffic jam that rendered cellphones useless in the wake of Tuesday’s temblorhas officials pondering a scary question: What happens if a real disaster strikes the nation’s capital? While police and firefighters in and around the capital apparently communicated just fine after the 5.8-magnitude earthquake, the rest […]
Damage to Monuments
From: “Earthquake reported along the East Coast”, Washington Post The National Park Service says the Washington Monument may have suffered cracks near its top during Tuesday’s earthquake, and the monument could be closed indefinitely. Park service spokesman Bill Line said there appear to be cracks “at the very, very top” of the 555-foot tall structure, and […]
Nuclear Plants
From: “Once-a-century earthquake rattles East Coast”, Reuters, Lily Kuo and Malathi Nayak Nuclear safety fears grew when one of four emergency diesel generators at the North Anna nuclear power plant in Virginia stopped working due to the quake. But the plant’s safety systems remained powered by three operating generators, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said. The plant was […]
Transportation
From: “Earthquake reported along the East Coast”, Washington Post [DC] Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said Metro trains were limited to running only 15 miles per hour after the earthquake shook the area. Riders should expect significant delays throughout the evening. The speed restrictions are expected to stay in place for “several hours” and will “likely affect […]
Schools
From: “Earthquake damage in D.C. will take time to assess”, Washington Post, Christian Davenport and Susan Svrluga In Fairfax County, principals at 74 schools reported some earthquake damage, spokesman Paul Regnier said. Each school was being inspected to determine whether repairs are needed. Fairfax students do not return to classes until after Labor Day. From: “6 students, 1 […]
Building Damage
From: “5.9-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes East Coast”, New York Times, Katharine Q. Seelye In Mineral, Va., a town about of about 500 people located four miles from the quake’s center, residents reported extensive damage to items inside homes. China shattered and pictures fell off walls. From: “5.8 quake hits Va.; Felt along U.S. East Coast” , AP At Reagan National Airport […]