Earthquake in a richer part of the world - Kobe 1995 Flashcards
When did it happen?
5.46AM
17th January 1995
What happened?
Friction was released and the Philippines Plate moved suddenly beneath the Eurasian plate, beneath Kobe.
The earthquake measured 7.2 on the Richter Scale.
Tremors lasted 20 seconds.
What were the effects on people?
6,434 people died.
40,000 seriously injured.
300,000 homeless.
2 million homes without electricity and 1 million homes had no water for 10 days.
People huddled in the streets wrapped in blankets, in fear of returning to damaged buildings.
What damage was done in the city?
Gas mains were ruptured, leading to fires, especially in the older part of the city where buildings were made of wood.
Sections of elevated road collapsed and water pipes burst, making it impossible to extinguish the fires. Most notably, the Great Hanshin Expressway collapsed, killing many people.
Railway lines buckled, leaving only 30% usable.
Companies such as Panasonic had to close temporarily.
Damage in excess of $200 billion.
How did people respond initially?
People searched through the rubble for survivors, helped by emergency services where access was possible.
Major retailers such as 7-Eleven provided essentials and Motorola maintained telephone connections for free.
The long term response?
Railways were 80% operational within a month.
By September 1996, the Great Hanshin Expressway was reopened.
The port took a year to become 80% operational but a lot of the shipping business had been lost.
New buildings were built further apart, to prevent the domino effect. Rubber shock absorbing foundations were added to flexible steel frames to stop buildings collapsing.
