Mexico earthquake of 1985

On September 19, 1985 an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.1 struck Mexico City, Mexico at 7:18 a.m. This was known to be one of the most violent earthquakes in the area. With Mexico City sitting on top a plateau of sand and dirt, this violent earthquake did significant damage to the city. The severe damaged left almost 10,000 people dead, nearly 30,000 people injured and more than 100,000 homeless. The Mexico City earthquake was said to be felt by almost 20 million people. The seriously affected areas caused nearly 4 billion U.S dollars worth of damage and left thousands of people fending for themselves. Hundreds of buildings had collapsed and thousands were seriously damaged by the shock. Hotels crumbled to the ground and hundreds of students were trapped by the falling of the National College of Professional Education building. Gas lines were easily broken, causing fires and explosions in many cities. (September 19, 1985: earthquake,” 1985)

Many natural disasters occurred after the quake as a result. Landslides, rockslides, sand blows and even a tsunami were generated. Rockslides were reported along highways, while sandblows and cracks in the road were seen in an area called Lazaro Cardenas. Also in the same area a tsunami was generated which caused extensive damage. Waves as high as 3 meters were recorded at Zihuatenejo and the waves even made it as far as Hawaii. Mexico City faced a loss of electricity halting public transportation and putting traffic lights out. Communication became an issue because the telephone system was also down. At the peak of the earthquake, Mexican president, Miguel de la Madrid refused to call a full national emergency plan and rejected international help. He quickly reversed his plans and began to accept international relief supplies from countries willing to help. Local residents helped with relief efforts and began evacuating friends and families from fallen buildings. Since several of the city’s major hospitals were severely damaged, the thousands of people that were in need of immediate medical care were halted leaving many deathly injured or sick. (U.S department of, 2010)

Weeks after the earthquake had struck the National Reconstruction Commission (NRC) supervised the reconstruction by some governmental programs. The cost of city reconstruction was extremely high because of the magnitude of the disaster. With this 8.0 magnitude earthquake occurring in an extremely concentrated high population, the amount of damage that was done was unlike any other event Mexico had ever witnessed. Unfortunately, not all damaged buildings received money to use towards reconstruction. Five programs were formed according to social pressures that were affected by the earthquake; Emergency housing program phase 1, popular residence renovation program, Democratic reconstruction of the nonoalco-Tlatelalco residential unit program, Emergency housing program phase 2, and the nongovernmental housing program. These five groups were formed as a way to help the communities recover at a faster rate. (Rodriguez)

U.S Department of Interior, U.S Geological Survey. (2010). Historic earthquakes Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/events/1985_09_19.php

(U.S Department of, 2010)

September 19,1985: earthquake shakes mexico city. (1985, September 19). History Magazine, Retrieved from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/earthquake-shakes-mexico-city

("September 19,1985: earthquake," 1985)

Rodriguez, F. (n.d.). Mexico city reconstruction after the 1985 earthquake. Unpublished manuscript, Pacific Disaster Center, University of Hawaii, Kiehi, Hawaii. Retrieved from http://emi.pdc.org/soundpractices/Mexico_City/SP2_Mx_1985_Reconstruction_Process.pdf

(Rodriguez)

On December 26, 2004, the third largest earthquake in the world struck Sumatra, Indonesia with a force of 9.1 magnitude. Shaking from the earthquake was felt in many parts of South Asia and even in parts of China. One of the most devastating elements of this disaster was the tsunami that was generated by the quake. In total, about 228,000 people were killed; missing or presumed dead and nearly 2 million people were displaced by the events in close to 14 countries. This tsunami and earthquake caused more casualties than any other in recorded history. Landslides became a major issue in Sumatra. Also, mud volcano’s and gas emissions were issues that surrounding countries were faced with as a result of this disaster. (U.S department of, 2011)

Warning systems for tsunamis and earthquakes were not yet developed in Sumatra. The strongest shaking from the quake occurred on the island of Simuelue off the coast Sumatra. People in this area found themselves being thrown to the ground by the incredibly strong shock.  Modern buildings collapsed from not being built to withhold the effects of such a strong earthquake. Landslides were also triggered and even the older buildings that were built lower to the ground suffered some minor cracks in the foundation. Some of the indications that a major disaster was on the rise was the receding sea level. Many did not realize the danger of this earthquake or disaster till after the events happened. While some people took to higher ground to save themselves from the tsunami coming in, some rushed to witness and collect the dead fish washed up on shore. Those who did not take the proper safety precautions were in great danger and the end result was only fatal. Fatalities were high and the damage was prevalent. Large sections of surrounding cities of Sumatra were completely destroyed by the tsunami. An incident was reported where a shark was found in an indoor swimming pool once the water level went down. The Indonesian Police and Army did their best to clear out the thousands of bodies killed from this disaster. They cornered off all areas that were strongly affected to keep those who were not injured away from the damage. Buses and cars were washed out to sea, while tourist areas were greatly affected as well. (ASC India, 2008)

As alarms signaled the strong earthquake the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) acted quickly in hopes they could warn the people in surrounding areas that an earthquake and tsunami were quick to occur. In Hawaii the NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center sent an information bullet out reading an earthquake had occurred in Sumatra, Indonesia. Even though the quake was a strong one, it was not a threat to the U.S or some of the other Pacific islands. As noted by the director of the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Eddie N. Bernard; “As with any natural hazard, education and warnings are essential. If people know what a tsunami is, what causes it, and what to do in case it happens, fewer lives may be lost.” The Indian Tri-Services, which include the, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy; went to Sumatra to provide emergency support. Other parts of the Indian government provided relief material to all areas in need. Indonesia needed all the support they could get to help recover from the earth shattering earthquake and tsunami. (Goldman, 2004)

U.S Department of Interior, U.S Geological Survey. (2011). Magnitude 9.1- off the west coast of northern sumatra Washington, DC: Government Printint Office. Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2004/us2004slav/#summary

(U.S Department of, 2011)

Asc India, . (2008, February 22). M9.1 sumatra -andaman earthquake and tsunami 2004 [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://asc-india.org/lib/20041226-sumatra.htm

(Asc India, 2008)

Goldman, J. U.S Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2004). Noaa reacts quickly to indonesian tsunami Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2357.htm

(Goldman, 2004)

Italy 2009 Earthquake

On April 6, 2009 an earthquake struck L’Aquila in Italy, killing at least 207 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless. As many were found buried in the rubble, the death toll climbed and fear was still lurking among the citizens. They were informed there was a great possibility of a large aftershock. While residents slept in their beds, they did not know at 3:22 a.m. they might be crushed in their sleep as an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3.  The effects of the quake were felt as far away as Naples.  Because Italy’s peninsula is crossed by two fault lines, nearly 20 million of Italy’s residents were at risk from earthquakes. A total of 26 cities and towns were damaged, nearly 10,000 buildings had substantive damage as well. Not only were cities and buildings damaged but nearly 40,000 people lost their homes. The most important issue was to find help for those people before nightfall. ( Israely , 2009 )

As the citizens were beginning to lose hope, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi went out to L’Aquila to survey the damage, and pledged to continue rescue operations for at least 48 hours longer, in hopes of finding more people lost in the rubble. At first the Prime Minister declined aid from other countries, and then decided to accept the support offered by President Obama. The support which was given was only used to preserve the region’s cultural and artistic heritage. In an effort to preserve the historic center, officials closed off all roads entering in fear there would be more collapsing. Many citizens ran to family and friends who were not affected by the quake instead of taking shelter in the safe houses the government had set up. One of the areas many of the newly homeless took advantage of the help the government had set up along the Adriatic Coast in hotels. Others had slept in their cars. People of Italy had growing suspicions as to why many of the newer buildings had collapsed under the quake. They were told by the Prime Minister, a new program to rebuild stronger houses was in the process. ( Donadio, & Povoledo, 2009 )

Among some of the buildings that had collapsed were university dormitories, churches and bell towers. Residents and rescue crews were desperate to find their loved ones and began to use their bare hands to clear debris from the falling buildings and broken ground. Army and civil protection units from all over Italy joined together for a common cause; to save anything and anyone. A man hospital became much crowed while many were waiting doctors who were forced to treat citizens in open air. Representatives from the Red Cross had mad arraignments to have two field hospitals set up in the areas of need, but they knew that even with the field hospital’s help, there would still be lack of help. While the death toll was high in the areas that were directly impacted by the quake, surrounding cities were also affected and had death tolls that continued to climb as the days went on. ( BBC , 2009 )

Israely, j. (2009, April 6). Italy's earthquake: could tragedy have been avoided?. Time, Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1889644,00.html

BBC , N. (Writer). (2009). powerful italian earthquake kills many [Television series episode]. In (Executive producer), One Minute world news. BBC.

Donadio, R., & Povoledo, E. (2009, April 7). Rescuers scramble in search for quake survivors. New York Times, 8, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/world/europe/08quake.html

El Salvador Earthquake of 2001

On January 13, 2001, El Salvador was struck with an earthquake of 7.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale. The epicenter was located off the Pacific Coast of El Salvador and was felt from Costa Rica to Mexico. This quake killed at least 315 people and 3,399 injured with extensive damage. An earlier quake killed more than 800 and left at least 2,000 missing and some 4,500 injured. Almost 250,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the quake. Because of the amount of earthquakes and tsunami’s El Salvador faces, the chances of a full recovery are slim. Roads were once again blocked by landslides, and all government buildings were evacuated waiting for further inspections. In El Salvador, the National Emergency Committee, (COEN) is the agency that coordinates all emergency activities. This committee met a day after the earthquake and provided the first data about the magnitude and severity of its effects on the population. (Fernandez, Verdajo & Perez, 2001)

The greatest amount of deaths occurred in the suburb of Las Colinas, where the impact sent tons of mud crashing down the hillside into newly built developments causing extensive damage. Many ended up being buried alive. Rescuers brought in bulldozers to try and make the rescue process faster but the amount of damage was incredible. In the desperate need to save lives, many began digging people out with their bare hands. The searching for friends and loved ones continued throughout the night and lasted for weeks. In need of help, the Salvadoran President Francisco Flores appealed for international assistance which caused the UK Government to pledge more than 600,000 Euros providing essential items such as; medicine, sanitation and clean water supplies to all those in need of relief. What was affected the most was the water supply. Storage tanks in the pumping plants of the water supply system were greatly affected. The costs of the water damages amounted to more than five million dollars. Evacuation from danger zones began and those who were located in the danger zones were re-located into 82 shelters, distributed in 10 of the most affected departments. A total number of 64,606 people were taken to these shelters. (BBC News, 2001)

USAID (U.S Agency for International Development) implemented a $159 million recovery program to assist El Salvador in recovering from the two earthquakes. Most of the funding was spent for the construction of approximately 26,000 houses for low-income families who lost homes in the earthquakes. Lessons learned from other recovery programs were used in aiding El Salvador during the earthquake disasters. As of March 31, 2003, USAID had expended $58 million of its $159 million in program funding and is making progress in implementing some activities. The Salvadoran Ministry of Public Works laid off 7,000 of its 8,000 workers through a "voluntary" retirement plan .This earthquake devastated El Salvador's infrastructure, especially roads, schools, the health care sector, and the water system. Repairs that needed attention were so extensive it was too hard to have a complete recovery from the many disasters El Salvador faced in such a short period of time. (Wisner, & Fordham, 2001)

Fernandez, G, Verdejo, G, & Perez, L. (2001). Earthquakes in el salvador. Pan American Health Organization, 22(1), Retrieved from http://www.paho.org/english/sha/be_v22n1-earthquakes.htm

BBC News, . (2001, January 13). Earthquake devastates salvador. BBC News, 1, Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/13/newsid_2554000/2554149.stm

Wisner, B, & Fordham, M. (2001, February 14). El salvador earthquake of 13th februray 2001 [Electronic mailing list message]. Retrieved from http://www.radixonline.org/elsalvador2.html

Japanese Earthquake 2011

On March 11,2011 near Tokyo, Japan an earthquake with an 8.9 magnitude struck the area causing more than just problems from falling buildings. The result of this earthquake came from thrust faulting on the subduction zone plate boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. The Japan Trench subduction zone has had nine earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater since 1973. The Japan earthquake far surpassed other  plate-boundary thrust-fault earthquakes in the southern Japan Trench, none of which attained a magnitude of eight. Occurring from the the quake was a tsunami that crushed eastern coast of Japan and swept away thousands of people, homes, cars, trees and even large buildings. Fires were burning for days long and people will stuck in devastation realizing they had nothing to go home to. The area around a nuclear power plant in the northeast was evacuated after the reactor's cooling system failed and the Japanese were faced with new problems everyday. (U.S Department of, 2011)

The effects of this earthquake have made this quake and tsunami one of the biggest natural disasters occurring in quite some time. Food has become hard to find and many have gone days without it because there is simply not enough places nearby to buy food. While some people evacuated and began to travel elsewhere they found themselves waiting in lines that stretched for miles to get gas. Problems began to arise when the issue about how the would handle the dead was brought about. Desperate municipalities are digging mass graves, unthinkable in a nation where the deceased are usually cremated and their ashes placed in stone tombs near Buddhist temples. While some were worrying about the dead, others were concerned about the nearby reactor overheating an leaking radiation. Radiation leakage concerns many people because of how easily it can affect the residents. Thousands of people were tested for radiation and many were even quarantined because they could infect other people. Clearly, the damage done by the earthquake and even worse, the tsunami, has caused a considerate amount of damage, while hundreds and thousands of residents to take shelter in places other than their home and find ways to keep their families safe. (Alabaster, Yamaguchi, Hosaka, & Kageyama , 2011)  

The Prime Minister said he had set up an Emergency Disaster Response Center. He had also said the Japanese military would help in the relief effort, and the people of Japan should remain calm.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon made a statement saying the U.N. stands ready to help as well. Japan is one of the world's best-prepared countries to deal with one of the world's worst earthquakes. As the tsunami spread, many turned to Japans poor neighbors, in hopes that maybe the tsunami would not hit them as well. The wave spread past Guam and Saipan without doing real damage and Hawaii sounded an early alarm for those on the coast to get to higher ground. Without the early response system many surrounding countries might not have been able to plan for what was coming their way. Even with all the aid that Japan is receiving they are still going to have to accept the fact that recovery from this type of devastation will take a considerate amount of time to fully recover from. Accepting as much help as they can will hopefully only help them recover faster. In the meantime, all they can do it keep their residents safe and hope the radiation does not continue to grow and become a bigger threat for them. (Magistad, 2011) 

U.S Department of the Interior, U.S Geological Survey . (2011). Magnitude 9.0 - near east coast of honshu,japan Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0001xgp/#summary  

Alabaster, J, Yamaguchi, M, Hosaka, T.A, & Kageyama , Y. (2011, March). Japan earthquake 2011:8.9 magnitude earthquake hits, 30 ft. tsunami triggered. Huffpost World, Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/11/japan-earthquake-tsunami_n_834380.html  

Magistad, M.K (Writer). (2011). Begins slow earthquake recovery [Radio series episode]. In (Executive producer), Public Radio International. PRI/BBC. 

San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

March 18, 1906 was the day a major earthquake struck San Francisco California and made history. Rupturing almost 300 miles from the San Andrea Fault, at 5:12 a.m. the earthquake shook San Francisco for almost 60 seconds. The quake and after shock was felt from Los Angeles all the way to central Nevada. The immediate impact of the quake was disastrous leaving thousands of people homeless and suffering the loss of their family members.The earthquake ignited several fires that burned for three days and destroyed close to 500 blocks. Because of this earthquake the elastic-rebound theory was discovered shortly later in the year. The study of this earthquake became the most important study of quakes in history. ( U.S Department of, 2009 ). 


The people that survived this disaster slept in tents in city parks and the Presidio. Not only did they sleep outside in tents but they stood in long lines for food, and were required to do their cooking in the street to minimize the threat of additional fires. The typical bread line would stretch for miles long but they had no choice but to wait in the line since the bread line was one of their only sources of food. This earthquake is considered one of the worst natural disasters in history of the U. S. Aid from all the country was pouring in but it was not enough to help fix the collapsed buildings and burning houses of the people that resided in them. The police and government officials began to destroy liquors and spirits because of the threat of more possible fires and also mob violence. The owners of these saloons and liquor stores complained to the House Claims Committee wanted their alcohol replenished. The conditions were almost unlivable for the amount of time it took for the affected cities to be back to normal. (U.S National Archives)


The U.S. Army and a self-appointed Citizen’s Committee of Fifty took on the task of managing sanitation, food, clothing and adequate shelter for the city’s newly destitute and homeless population. Also, the House and the Senate Appropriations Committees put in plans for the city to pay for food, water, tents, blankets, and medical supplies for weeks following the earthquake and fire's. They also made available funds to reconstruct many of the public buildings that were damaged or destroyed. Shortly after the shocks ended the University officials quickly began to assess damages to the affiliated colleges and moved to meet the immediate needs of the University and its public. Luckily, the large military population of San Francisco was there to provide some relief from the damage done. Also pictures were taken and to be documented so the Senate could have documentation of this disaster to go back and look on and/or study in the future. (The 1906 earthquake, 2010)

U.S Department of the Interior , U.S Geological Survey . (2009). The great 1906 san francisco earthquake Retrieved from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/18april/index.php 

U.S National Archives and Records Administration, (n.d.). San francisco earthquake of 1906 Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/sf/ 

The 1906 earthquake and response. (2010). Unpublished manuscript, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Retrieved from http://history.library.ucsf.edu/1899_earthquake.html 

New Zealand Earthquake of 2011

Tuesday February 22, 2011, an earthquake ruptured through Christchurch, New Zealand. With a 6.3 magnitude this earthquake caused several deaths and injuries as it crushed buildings and buses, buckled streets and damaged cathedrals. The quake struck just before 1 p.m. Tuesday (7 p.m. Monday ET). Two aftershocks occurred one having a 5.6 magnitude occurring about 15 minutes after the initial quake and a second 5.5 magnitude aftershock around 3 p.m. local time. The Christchurch hospital and airport were evacuated and closed due to the severe amount of potential damage that could be done at these areas. Also a large evacuation of the central city took place and it was reported that there were an undetermined final amount of deaths because of the amount of collapsing buildings that fell and crushed buses below them. So far there is a estimated amount of at least 65 people being killed. (CNN wire staff, 2011) 

A New Zealand newspaper reported that fires were breaking out, water mains were flooding the cities and phone lines were down as well. Roads were also cracked and the cities emergency service was unreachable. “It’s a nightmare,” said Kevin Fenaughty of GNS Science, an earth science research institute in New Zealand, talking about the aftershock of the original earthquake. “A lot of people were just getting back on their feet after the original quake.”(Harris, 2011). A witness of the earthquake named Gavin Blowman told CNN, there were now fears that a tsunami could hit from the seismic waves from the quake. Him and tons of others were trying to get to safe, higher ground to protect themselves from a possible tsunami.(CNN wire staff, 2011). People were also urged to avoid the water supply. The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, said he would attend an emergency Cabinet meeting in Wellington and if the airport would open he would fly back to Christchurch. The mayor, Bob Parker, was also affected by this quake. He reported being thrown across the room in the city council building and knew that their were injuries within the building resulting from the quake. 


The United States sent a search-and-rescue team from Los Angeles county fire department to New Zealand on Tuesday after the earthquake. As said by Obama, "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I extend our deepest condolences to the people of New Zealand and to the families and friends of the victims in Christchurch. We stand ready to provide more assistance as needed." On Tuesday 43 U.S government, business and community leaders were sent to Christchurch for a U.S.-New Zealand Partnership Forum meeting. This meeting brought together all the leaders of both countries to discuss ways to cooperate on trade and other issues. Another plan was to broaden the partnership of both the countries and the U.S would provide any assistance New Zealand required. (Mitchell, 2011) 

CNN wire staff, (Writer). (2011). Deadly quake strikes new zealand [Television series episode]. In (Executive producer), CNN. CNN News Network. 

(CNN wire staff, 2011) 

Harris, E.A. (2011, February 21). Strong earthquake shakes new zealand. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/world/asia/22zealand.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=new%20zealand%20earthquake&st=cse 

(Harris, 2011)

Mitchell, M. (2011). Us sends rescue team to help in nz earthquake. Columbus Telegram, Retrieved from http://columbustelegram.com/news/national/article_5af288c7-2a6c-552c-8150-a29ef90228bd.h 

(Mitchell, 2011)