Transcript THE MINERAL, VIRGINIA EARTHQUAKE

THE MINERAL, VIRGINIA
EARTHQUAKE
Lessons From A Rare, ShallowDepth, Moderate - Magnitude Event
in the Eastern United States
Dr. Walter Hays,
Global Alliance For Disaster
Reduction
AUGUST 23, 2011
THE EARTHQUAKE
1:51 PM ET
MINERAL, VIRGINIA: ABOUT 160 KM
(100 MI) SW OF WASHINGTON, DC
MINERAL, VA
A TOWN OF 430 PEOPLE
Earthquakes are rare in the
Eastern U.S. because the
region is several hundred
miles away from the closest
plate boundary, which is in the
middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
Today’s shallow (1 km)
earthquake was probably
generated by rupture of the
Spotsylvania fault, an
ancient break in the Earth’s
crust that is now a part of
the North American plate.
THE M5.8 EARTHQUAKE
OCCURRED AT 1:51 PM ON
AUGUST 23rd
The USGS downgraded the magnitude
from M5.9 (tied for largest historic
quake in Virginia) to M5.8
ALTHOUGH A MODERATE
EARTHQUAKE, THIS
EARTHQUAKE WAS THE
LARGEST IN VIRGINIA SINCE
1897
WHAT HAPPENED FOLLOWING
TODAY’S MODERATE
EARTHQUAKE
Above all else, it was a WAKE-UP call!!!
No deaths, but with typical short- period
effects close to the source and longperiod effects far from the source
Although the epicenter of the
quake (and the source of the
seismic energy) was in Mineral,
VA, the ground shaking was felt
as far north as Boston, New
York, and Detroit, and as far
south as Atlanta.
NOTE: The rocks in the Eastern
United States are old and cold,
which makes them more
efficient in transmitting seismic
energy from a M5.8 quake much
farther than the young and hot
rocks in the Western United
States.
MINERAL, VA: DAMAGE TO CITY HALL
MINERAL, VA: DAMAGE IN HOME
WASHINGTON DC: THE CAPITOL AND ALL
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS EVACUATED
WASHINGTON, DC: EVACUATION OF
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
WASHINGTON, DC: EVACUEES ON
PENNSYLVANIA AVE
WASHINGTON, DC: EVACUATION OF
AUSTRIAN EMBASSEY
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT HAD
CRACKS NEAR THE TOP
WASHINGTON MONUMENT CLOSED
WASHINGTON CATHEDERAL: BROKEN
SPIRE
WASHINGTON, DC: TRAFFIC GRID
LOCK 2 HOURS AFTER EATHQUAKE
VIRGINIA: EVACUATION OF COLLEGE
STUDENTS WHO JUST STARTED AGAIN
NEW YORK: EVACUATION OF
BUSINESSES
The Governor of Virginia
ordered a situation assessment
to determine extent of damage
and needs.
US Capitol shut down for
damage inspection by Capitol
Architect.
Many Virginia and Washington,
DC schools closed for safety
inspections
Automatic safe shutdown of
two nuclear power plants in
Virginia
WHAT DID WE LEARN
FROM THE MINERAL
EARTHQUAKE?
1. Be ready to protect
your capitol, your
community, your
school, your business,
--- and your people.
2. Be prepared for an act of
terrorism, which is what
many people thought that
the earthquake was (i.e., in
some unknown way another
9/11 act of terrorism).
3. Be prepared for what
can happen in a rare
event---a moderate
earthquake that only
happens every century-- that can impact onehalf of the nation.
4. Be prepared for the
situation when local
communication is disrupted
and even shut down (i.e.,
when cell phones and the
internet become useless
immediately after a major
earthquake occurs).
5. Take actions to avert
disaster by making the nation’s
communication network and its
partnerships as broad and
deep as possible,
encompassing and engaging
the appropriate local,
community, state, Federal, and
international institutions.