Earthquakes Today

Earthquakes Today – Are you prepared?

In an emergency, if phones don’t work or families aren’t together, what will you do?

When we think of earthquakes today, we think of devastation, and unexpected emergency situations. It seems that every time we turn on our television, or listen to the radio, we are faced with the fact that somewhere in the world a natural disaster is taking place. In addition we see and hear constant warnings from civil defence, regional councils and the media, urging people to be ready with emergency equipment. Those that have taken on this information, and heeded these warnings, will be in a much better position should a disaster strike, than those who thought they would get all their emergency supplies when they had time, which of course is always going to be too late. In past times it is these well prepared people that have ended up saving their own lives and the lives of others.

So are you prepared?

If an unexpected emergency strikes, you may very well not have enough time to get together the necessary essentials that you will need to keep you safe and healthy. You must have reliable supplies of food and equipment that you know you can rely on during a time of emergency when shops are going to be shut and roads will be down. It is essential that you have the necessary amounts of water, food, health care supplies and equipment to maintain life for at least three days, or until help gets there.

Do Not wait until it is too late, get organized today!

You’ll find these supplies not only invaluable in times of disasters and emergency but also extremely useful for open-air camping situations or electricity black outs.

Water: At least one gallon per person.
Food: Ready to eat, or requiring little water to prepare.

Flashlight;  Battery operated radio;  Plenty of extra batteries;  Dust masks;  Whistle;  Stanly knife;  Pocket knife;  Large plastic sacks;  Heavy work gloves;  Toilet paper and toiletries;  Duct tape;  First aid kit;  Two or three buckets;  Bleach and an eyedropper for water purification;  Local map;  An adjustable wrench;  Hand sanitiser;  Disposable dishes and utensils;  Sleeping bags, enough for family.

It is also a good idea to photocopy valuable documents, and a list of phone numbers, and put them in a resealable plastic bag.

With earthquakes today being almost a fact of life, it is worth taking the time to learn as many facts as we can so we can also pass our knowledge on to others.

Disaster Information And Facts.

It is believed that the best way to learn how to respond to emergencies, is through education and innovative preparation. When you are provided with comprehensive information regarding what can cause the natural disasters that threaten our country, these educational tools should be used to assist you to understand how to proceed in the event of a major natural event, such as an earthquake or flood, and to educate you on the actual disasters that may affect you.

Earthquake impacts are many and varied, ranging from minor structural damage of a few buildings,  to complete devastation over huge areas. At their strongest, earthquakes are capable of annihilating key urban centers and severely disrupting the social and economic fabric of nations around the world. As a consequence, the range of earthquake phenomena and impacts are of concern to a broad spectrum of professions such as insurance, construction, engineering,

Seismologists, structural geology scientists and earthquake technicians provide research-led expertise and advice about the complete range of phenomena related to seismic hazard and threat. Current study is targeted on the use of geological fault Consultancies have addressed seismic hazard and risk in Israel, Peru, Iceland, the Caribbean and China.

Your facts and knowledge of earthquakes today has hopefully been increased by what you have read in our articles, and that the information has been of some value. I trust you will go away now and prepare your emergency kit, and that you will never have to use it.

While realising there are around 500,000 earthquakes each year only 100,000 of these will be felt. The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9. in Chile on May 22, 1960. The world’s deadliest documented earthquake took place in 1556 in central China. It struck a region where most people lived in caves carved from soft rock. These dwellings collapsed during the earthquake, killing around 830,000 people. Earthquakes today still cause the same havoc,  but we have better constructed buildings, resulting more often in less loss of life.

In 1935, Charles Richter found a way to gauge earthquakes using a device called a seismograph. It draws wiggly lines to show just how much movement happens in the course of an earthquake. Richter gave each quake a number with a (1) being very weak and a (7) and over being powerful. To this day, seismologists continue to make use of the Richter scale to measure an earthquakes power.

The numbers listed below show how the magnitude and the intensity of earthquakes are related.

1 to 2

Shaking is hardly ever experienced by people.

2 to 3

Only folks at rest really feel the trembling, particularly if they are on the upper floors of a building.

3 to 4

Many people indoors experience the shaking, but many do not identify it as an earthquake.

4

Most people inside, plus some outside,detect a tremble,  and dishes,  windows, and doors rattle. Walls  may  creak.

4 to 5

Felt by most everyone. People are woken from their sleep, liquid splashes out of glasses, things fall over, crockery and windows break.

5 to 6

Felt by everyone. You have difficulty walking. Some large furniture moves, dishes break, pictures fall off walls, buildings are still usually alright.

6

People have trouble standing, furniture breaks, bricks or pavers may crack and fall,  there are noticeable waves on ponds, church  bells ring, and there is considerable destruction of poorly constructed buildings.

6 to 7

Many people have trouble driving cars. Walls crumble, chimneys fall,  and tree branches snap and fall. Some badly built buildings may well collapse. Tall structures may distort, or twist and fall.

7

People stress and panic. It is very possible that water lines could break. Well built buildings are considerably weakened. The ground may well split.

7 to 8

The ground splits. Water splashes over the banks of streams and canals. Railroad tracks buckle.

8

Highways, train tracks, bridges and underground pipelines are destroyed.  Most buildings collaspe and significant crevices appear in the ground.

8  or greater

Destruction of buildings and transportation systems. Almost everything is demolished. The surface of the ground moves in waves or ripples. The ground is covered with cracks and holes.

We can’t tell when earthquakes today are going to hit, however,  many individuals believe that animals can. Most researchers say no,  but some are not so sure. There has been numerous reports of cats, dogs, cockroaches, and rats getting disoriented and upset just before earthquakes.

In 1975, many people in Northeastern China reportedly witnessed mice and rabbits leaving their burrows, and snakes coming out of hibernation in the middle of the winter just before a huge earthquake occurred.
The night prior to the huge 1906 earthquake, horses in San Francisco became panicky.
Other indicators from animals that an earthquake is coming includes birds flying in circles, dogs barking for hours and elephants starting to run.The day before the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, Alaska’s Kodiak bears came out of hibernation weeks prior to schedule.

An earthquake (also called a quake, tremor or temblor) is a result of a rapid release of energy in the earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity or seismic activity of an area refers to the regularity, type, and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time. Earthquakes are measured using observations from seismometers. The moment magnitude is the most frequent scale on which earthquakes larger than approximately 5 are noted for the entire globe. These two scales are numerically similar over their range of validity.

There are hundreds of theories as to why we experience earthquakes today, and why the scale of each is so varied, remains still somewhat of an enigma,  but while there is a lot still to be learnt about the earth we live on then I guess thats another story.

Earthquakes Today – What You Need To Know.

Earthquake safety shouldn’t be a big worry when you are away from home or travelling.

Here are some helpful tips for living through an earthquake, with some additions.

If you are inside your home:

Drop to the ground and take cover by getting under a strong  table or another piece of sturdy furniture, and hold on tight until the shaking stops. If there is not a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your hands and crouch in a corner of the room.

Keep away from glass, windows, exterior panels, walls, and anything that could fall on top of you, for example, light fittings,large appliances, or office furniture.

Stay in bed if you’re there when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and protect your head using a pillow, although, if you are under a  window or anything that can fall, you should move to the nearest risk-free location (i. e. under a desk or in a corner ).

During earthquakes today people seem to think that they will be safe standing in a doorway. This is not necessarily so.

Make use of a door frame for refuge only if it’s close to you and you know it’s a clearly supported, weight- bearing entrance. Support yourself on the side with all the hinges in order to avoid the door swinging into you

Remain inside till trembling stops and it is safe to move outdoors. Studies have shown that a lot of injuries take place when people inside of buildings attempt to move to another location. or attempt to leave.

Bear in mind that the electricity may be cut or perhaps the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.

DO NOT use the elevators, even if they still appear to be working. There could be aftershocks.

If you are in your hotel room, remain there. There are usually aftershocks, and sometimes they are worse  than the initial earthquake. Shelter under a strong desk or perhaps choose an inside corner within your room that you think will be the safest place to be, even if you’re on the Fortieth floor.

If you are in an eating place, get under a table.

In the event that the walls are crumbling and the ceiling is falling in.

It is recommended that you lay down beside a bed, couch, desk or heavy piece of furniture. In these conditions the triangle of space created when a shelf, wall, or section of a roof falls against a big furniture piece will be your very best chance of not getting crushed.

If out of doors

Stay therewhere you are if possible. Move away from  streetlights, and power cable connections.
Remain there till the shaking halts. The highest danger is actually right outside buildings, at exits, and external walls. most of the fatalities in earthquakes today comes from falling debris. Ground motion during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake- linked casualties result from collapsing partitions, flying glass and dropping materials.

If inside a moving automobile

Pull over to the side of the road and stop as soon as safety will allow and remain in your vehicle. Do not stop near, or below buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility cables. If there is an an earthquake while you’re driving a car it will feel like there is something wrong with your vehicle. You should not stop in the middle of the the road if traffic is still moving around you. Reduce speed and put on your turn signal to go to the side of the highway. If other people are doing the same thing, it’s almost certainly an earthquake.
Continue carefully when the earthquake has ceased. Stay Away From highways, bridges, or ramps that might have been broken by the earthquake.

If trapped under debris

Do not ever light a match.
Don’t move about or kick up airborne dirt and dust.
Protect your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
Tap on a water pipe or wall so rescuers can find you. Use a whistle if one is available. Yell only as a last measure. Screaming can make you breathe in unsafe levels of airborne dirt and dust.

Things to pack which can help you survive an earthquake:

A crank radio or battery operated radio, such as Various models of ipods with radio. They do not occupy much space and in case the electricity goes out, you’ll be able to receive current information and facts.
A small flashlight in the event the power is out.
Travel snack food items like granola bars, jerky and trail mix just in case you’re trapped in one area for some time.

Water.

You cannot take it if you are traveling by air, but keep a few bottles in your hotel room as soon as you can after you settle in, Also prepare some as well to put in your rental-car if you have one.

I hope these instructions and tips for earthquakes today will be of some help to you in the future should you ever need them.

Cheers