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Vancouver 2010 Para Olympic Games -A view from the Inside
A powerful earthquake struck deep under the sea in eastern Indonesia on Saturday, causing panic and sending residents running out of their homes, officials and witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The Indonesia Earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0, but at a depth of 86 miles was too far below the earth's surface to cause a tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.
Saturday's Earthquake in Indonesia came as Indonesia is still recovering from a devastating earthquake last month that killed more than 1,000 people on western Sumatra. The U.S. Geological Survey says Saturday's Earthquake in Indonesia was located 225 miles southeast of Ambon in the Maluku islands in the Banda Sea.
The shaking was strong and people ran to higher ground fearing a tsunami, said Ian Kotualubun, an official with Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency in Saumlaki, the area closest to the epicenter, about 1,700 miles east of the capital, Jakarta.
Indonesia sits above a series of fault lines that make the vast island nation one of the most earthquake-prone places in the world. A massive quake off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province caused the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people, half of the victims on Sumatra island. This area is often referred to as "The Ring of Fire."
With the recent rash of Earthquakes and seismic activity in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, residents are starting to worry. This is an understandable concern as the region has been hit with two major earthquakes in as many days.
Yesterday (September 29, 2009) an earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of American Samoa. The Samoa Earthquake resulted in a Tsunami wave which caused destruction on the Island of American Samoa as well as neighbouring Islands and a Tsunami watch continued throughout the day for area's as far away as Hawaii and the California coastline. For more on the September 29th 2009 Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami
Today, (September 30, 2009) an Earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit approximately 50 KM off the coast of Sumatra. The massive underwater Earthquake, which had a depth of 85 kilometres, briefly prompted the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a tsunami alert for Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Thailand. Once the danger of a Tsunami seemed minimul, the Tsunami warning for Indonesia was lifted.
The 7.6 Earthquake, off the coast of Western Indonesia caused substantial damage as buildings toppled and bridges collapsed as residents of Indonesia were sent fleeing for safety.
Witnesses of the Indonesia Earthquake of September 30, 2009 said people ran out of homes and buildings in fear when the Indonesia Earthquake hit in the early evening. Tremors from the September 30 2009 Indonesia Earthquake were felt in the capital of Jakarta as well as in Singapore and Malaysia.
Video footage of the Indonesia Earthquake showed devastation, with piles of rubble and smashed houses in Sumatra. The Indonesia Earthquake has also caused widespread power and phone line outages, according to Indonesian officials. Several injuries are being reported however, it is unclear if there were any deaths, as a result of the Indonesian Earthquake.
Several buildings have reportedly collapsed in the coastal city of Padang in the Southern Sumatra province as well as in other town and cities.
Geologists have long said Padang, with a population of 900,000, may one day be destroyed by a huge earthquake because of its location.
Indonesia is a vast archipelago which straddles continental plates and is prone to Earthquake and Volcanic activity along what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Indonesia Earthquake was along the same fault line that spawned the massive December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries.
Earlier this month, Indonesia was witness to another Earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale. This earthquake also caused substantial damage to the region.
Hours earlier, a tsunami had swept into Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, killing at least 99 people after a strong underwater quake in the South Pacific.
A 7.1 earthquake shook Japan this morning, the August 9th 2009 Japan Earthquake struck 200 miles south-southwest of Tokyo Japan at 7:55 PM. The epicenter of the Tokyo Japan Earthquake 188 miles deep, the United States Geological Survey reported.
Although many reports are calling the earthquake in Japan, the Tokyo Earthquake, the August 9th 2009 7.1 Earthquake in Japan was centred in the Izu islands off the eastern coast of Japan.
With the Japan Earthquake originating under water, there was an initial concern of a Tsunami, which would have been tragic as the Eastern Pacific is already being hit hard by Hurricane Felicia which is currently heading straight for Hawaii. The Tsunami threat was quickly lifted as all sources indicate there is no threat of a Tsunami resulting from the Tokyo Japan Earthquake on August 9th, 2009.
The Japan Earthquake did, however, stop a baseball game as well as several Bullet trains as Japanese officials waited for the shaking to stop. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, and experts believe Tokyo has a 90 percent chance of being hit by a major earthquake over the next 50 years.
In 1995, a magnitude-7.2 earthquake in the western port city of Kobe killed 6,400 people
L'AQUILA, Italy — Strong aftershocks Tuesday sent a fresh wave of fear across earthquake-shattered central Italy, and rescue crews pulled a
RESCUE WORKERS WORK IN DIM LIGHTING SEARCHING FOR SURVIVERS OF ITALY's WORST EARTHQUAKE IN 30 YEARS
young woman alive from a collapsed building about 42 hours after the main ITALY EARTHQUAKE struck the mountainous region. Eleonora Calesini, a 20-year-old student, was found alive in the ruins of the five-story building in central L'Aquila, said her grandfather, Renato Calesini, in the seaside town of Mondaini. "She's safe!" he told The Associated Press, adding that her father had gone to devastated city in the snowcapped Apennine mountains to try to locate the student, who wears a hearing aid. She reportedly had an arm injury but was in good condition otherwise.
The death toll from ITALY's WORST EARTHQUAKE in three decades climbed to 235, with 15 still missing, civil protection officials said. The dead A CAR IS BURIED UNDER THE RUBBLE OF THE ITALIAN EARTHQUAKE included four students trapped in the rubble of a dormitory of the University of L'Aquila, the ANSA news agency reported. Rescue crews gave up gingerly removing debris by hand and brought in huge pincers that pulled off parts of the dorm roof, balconies and walls, showering debris down. "Unless there is a miracle, I've been told (by rescuers) that they probably are dead," university rector Ferdinando Di Orio said. A strong aftershock of the ITALY EARTHQUAKE at 7:47 p.m. rained debris on screaming residents and rescue crews, who ran from the site. "I want to go home! I want to go home!" screamed a woman identified only as Patrizia after chunks of facade rained down on them from a badly cracked building. Her hands trembled as rescue workers gave her a cup of water. Her boyfriend, Agostino Paride, 33, an engineer, said they had driven to L'Aquila from Civitella Rovedo, some 45 miles away, to bring food and clothes to relatives in a tent camp.
Here is a VIDEO OF THE EARTHQUAKE EFFECTED AREA IN ITALY
To shelter the homeless against another chilly night in the mountains, some 20 tent cities sprouted in open spaces around L'Aquila and surrounding towns. Field kitchens, medical supplies and clowns with bubbles – to entertain traumatized children – were brought in. Officials estimated Monday that 50,000 people had been left homeless by the ITALY EARTHQUAKE. By Tuesday evening, that number was lowered to between 17,000 and 25,000, because many moved in with friends or relatives. "I don't know how I'll make it," a dazed Pierina Diletti said as she stood in slippers and her nightgown outside her tent. Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who visited one of the encampments, said an estimated 14,500 people were being sheltered in the blue tents. Officials said some 10,000 to 15,000 buildings were either damaged or destroyed in the 26 cities, towns and villages around L'Aquila, a picturesque city of 70,000. Teams planned to begin surveying those buildings still standing on Wednesday to see if residents could move back in. "The assessment will concern every room, every slit, every crack," Berlusconi told a news conference, adding that assessments of the region's prized cultural treasures – churches, monuments and other historical sites – would begin soon. From a Helicopter, Berlusconi surveyed the region devastated by the ITALY EARTHQUAKE and said rescue efforts would continue for two more days – "until it is certain that there is no one else alive." At least 100 of about 1,000 injured people were in serious condition, he said. Experts say the vast majority of buildings in the most vulnerable regions of earthquake-prone Italy don't meet modern seismic safety standards. Nearly half of Italy is labeled "dangerous" in terms of seismic activity, according to a 2008 report by Enzo Boschi, president of the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology, and other Italian geologists and civil protection experts. But only 14 percent of buildings in that vulnerable swath were built to seismic-safety standards, the report said.
In the seaside town of Pescara, 16 families were sheltered at the Hotel Ambra, which offered free rooms to ITALY EARTHQUAKE victims. "They are a little traumatized," hotel business manager Vincenzo Traversa said. "It is not a beautiful experience." So far, 6,500 hotel beds across the Abruzzo region were made available and 4,000 filled by Tuesday afternoon, said Emilio Schirato, president of Abruzzo's hotel association. Schirato said the rooms were made available "spontaneously" by hotel owners as a gesture of solidarity. But some people pretending to have lost their homes due to the ITALY EARTHQUAKE had sought to get free hotel rooms, Schirato said. Carabinieri police were trying to verify that people being housed were in fact deserving, he said. In L'Aquila and surrounding towns, many took shelter in their cars. "It was a bad night," said Francesco Marchi, 18, who slept in his car with his brother in a piazza far from buildings, fearing falling debris from aftershocks of the ITALY EARTHQUAKE. "It was really cold, but we had sleeping bags." Two buildings in the suburb of Pettino collapsed following one aftershock, ANSA reported, citing fire officials. No one was believed to be inside either building. The ground shook in the nearly leveled town of Onna, about six miles away, but caused no panic. Onna residents walked around dazed, clutching whatever heirlooms they had managed to grab before their homes collapsed. "We lost 15 members of our family. Babies and children died," 70-year-old retiree Virgilio Colajanni said as he choked back tears. Onna had about 300 residents and lost 40 to the quake. Civil protection Maj. Cristina DiTommaso, who was helping coordinate the ITALY EARTHQUAKE rescue in Onna, said search efforts were complicated by an unknown number of undocumented immigrants living there. Most of Italy's illegal immigrants are from Romania, the former Yugoslavia or northern Africa, and many work in the largely agricultural area as farm or manual laborers. While the elderly, children and pregnant women were given priority at tent camps, others arranged to stay with relatives or in second homes out of the quake zone. Ines D'Alessandro, 98, moved to her sister's home in nearby Sulmona after surviving her second devastating quake. Her first – a 1915 temblor that killed 30,000 people – occurred when she was just 4, ANSA reported. "It is hard. I cry my heart out for all of these people struck by this tragedy, but one needs to have courage and I try to give it to others. I have fought all of my life," D'Alessandro told ANSA. Six months pregnant, Sandra Padil spent the night in a tent without any covers as the temperatures dipped to 43 degrees. "We are calmer out in the open," said Padil, a 32-year-old Peruvian who has been living in L'Aquila since 1996. "We didn't have blankets and it was cold, but at least this morning they gave us breakfast. Let's hope this ends quickly." The main ITALY EARTHQUAKE – which struck just after 3:30 a.m. Monday – registered magnitude 6.3, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics, using the Richter scale, put it at 5.8. It was Italy's deadliest quake since Nov. 23, 1980, when a 6.9-magnitude quake hit southern regions, leveling villages and killing about 3,000.
An EARTHQUAKE estimated at magnitude 4.5 centered about a mile south of San Bernardino jolted Southern California on Thursday January 8th 2009 but caused no major damage, according to authorities.
The earthquake was felt just before 8 p.m. in downtown Los Angeles, parts of the High Desert, San Pedro and coastal and inland Orange County, but not as far south as San Diego.
"It was a hard jolt that lasted no more than five to eight seconds," said San Bernardino Fire Department spokesman Steve Tracy. "There were some minor cracks in the concrete, one lady's roof suffered slight damage, there was damage to some walkways but nothing major."
U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones said the quake appeared to strike near the northern end of the San Jacinto fault, which is considered part of the San Andreas fault system. It was initially reported as magnitude 5.0 but was soon downgraded.
The EARTHQUAKE was comparable to the 1988 Pasadena earthquake and about 25 times smaller than the Chino Hills quake last summer.
"It's the type of earthquake we used to have in L.A. every year in the '80s," Jones said. "After Northridge, it went quiet."
Jones said a magnitude 3.3 aftershock occurred about an hour later.
Karen Brown, a dispatcher with the U.S. Forest Service working at Tippecanoe Avenue and Mill Street, said she hadn't heard of any damage.
"It felt like the building was picked up, dropped and shook," she said.
The quake struck at 7:49 p.m. and could be felt as far away as San Diego, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The July 29 Chino Hills quake that broke water lines, shattered windows, knocked food off grocery-store shelves and knocked out power measured 5.4 by comparison.
There were also a number of small aftershocks in the hour following the quake, including a 3.3 earthquake in San Bernardino at 8:47 p.m.
Public-safety agencies said there were few reports of immediate damage.
"We do not have any calls for service, anyone reporting damage to property or injuries to any person," said sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller.
County and San Bernardino city fire officials also said there were no reports of injuries or damage.
Loma Linda fire officials said a woman they thought was about 90 years old fell out of bed while reading the newspaper and landed on her leg, breaking it. She also had a bloody nose and lip.
The earthquake was powerful enough to knock over small objects sitting on tables in Los Angeles.
It appeared to be centered near the San Bernardino Police Department's headquarters.
"It was actually underneath our E Street gate," said Lt. Gwendolyn Waters.
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake rumbled across Southern California on Friday night. The moderate quake occurred at 8:18 p.m. near Ludlow, in San Bernardino County, just east of Barstow, and could be felt from Los Angeles to San Diego. No damage was reported.
"It was just a quick little rolling earthquake, really light," said Jeremy Chestnut, 20, who works at the 76 Gas Station/Dairy Queen on Interstate 40 in the town of Ludlow. "I was standing in front of an ice cream machine and it makes the ground shake too. Everyone here is OK," Chestnut added, saying nothing was broken as far as he could tell.
Barstow police officials said they had not heard any reports of injuries or property damage.
This recent Earthquake in Southern California happened just two days after the largest known Earthquake Drill in Southern California.
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- People in southern California dropped simultaneously to ground Thursday morning, huddled under tables and held on for about a minute in what is being billed as the largest earthquake drill in history. More than 5 million people registered to participate in the drill. It was part of the weeklong Great Southern California ShakeOut, a series of events organized by scientists and emergency officials to prepare people for a major earthquake, something scientists and researchers think is overdue in the area.
Most participants -- whether in classrooms, offices or homes -- were expected to take cover under tables or desks and hold on as though a devastating earthquake were rattling buildings and structures. Despite the number of registrants, organizers have no way of knowing exactly how many people dived under furniture at 10 a.m. and waited for the imaginary seismic activity to cease. "We wanted it to be so big that you really can't manage it," Mark Benthien, executive director of the Earthquake Country Alliance, said of the drill.
The alliance -- composed of earthquake professionals, emergency personnel and business and government leaders -- organized the drill. Watch Californians participate in the drill. Benthien explained that the registration list is the only basis of estimating how many people participated. "We're not getting reports in" other than anecdotal stories, he said. The organizers are encouraging participants who had not registered to do so now, so the number would be more accurate, he added. He said medical and emergency personnel were involved in simulated exercises, including responses to staged collapsed buildings and to medical emergencies. Their drills will continue for several days, he said.
Some radio and television stations were to guide participants with drill broadcasts. Thursday's drill was based on a scenario of a magnitude-7.8 earthquake occurring along the southern San Andreas Fault, beginning at the Salton Sea and spreading north nearly 200 miles. Such an event could kill 1,800 people, injure 50,000 and cause $200 billion in damage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which led a team of more than 300 experts in devising the scenario.
"It's not a matter of if an earthquake of this size will happen, but when," the Great Southern California ShakeOut's Web site says. In July, a magnitude-5.4 earthquake -- not nearly as strong as the "big one" researchers eventually expect -- hit the Los Angeles area. iReport.com: Watch drill participants taking shelter under desks After that earthquake, researchers said, the stress relieved by smaller tremors was minuscule compared with the amount building up for the "big one."
Officials hope the earthquake drill will prepare residents for the big quake, whenever it may hit. "From a geologist's point of view, the answer has to be soon," Kate Hutton, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology, said in July, referring to a large temblor.
Another moderate quake, a magnitude 5.4, struck in April in the northern part of California. A magnitude-4.4 quake struck the greater Los Angeles area in August 2007. There is a 99 percent chance of California experiencing a quake of magnitude 6.7 or larger within the next 30 years, according to the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey, the California Geological Survey and the Southern California Earthquake Center and published in Science Daily in April.
Benthien said other large earthquake drills have been held in Mexico and South Korea, but "in terms of the breadth of the participants ... we think this is the largest of that kind." In Japan, one of the most earthquake-prone countries, residents hold a yearly earthquake drill on the anniversary of the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, which killed more than 100,000 people.
Several companies are sponsoring Great Southern California ShakeOut, including Time Warner Cable Inc., a division of Time Warner Inc., which is the parent company of CNN.
San Diego, Calif. - An earthquake with the magnitude of 4.1 has struck just north of the Palomar Observatory in northern San Diego County. The earthquake, moderate in size and strength, didn't do any significant harm to any structures when it struck this morning 10 miles north of the Palomar Observatory.
The observatory operated by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena was closed when the quake struck. Caltech seismologist Anthony Guarino says the quake was felt from San Diego to Palm Desert.
Experts say San Diego is among the counties that will be affected by predicted future earthquakes. King City police say there are no reports of damage or injuries after an earthquake with a magnitude 3.6 was recorded outside of the city.
A dispatcher for the department says she was not aware of the quake.
The U.S. Geological Surveys says the earthquake hit at 6:27 about 20 miles southeast of King City, or about 108 miles southeast of San Jose.
While the fires continue to rage in Los Angeles and Montecito, San Diego got their own taste of Mother Nature's fury this morning in the form of a 4.1 magnitude earthquake that was felt over a wide area of San Diego County Monday morning.
The earthquake, which is classified by the US Geological Survey as a "light" earthquake, was felt at 4:35 AM. It was centered about ten miles north of the Palomar Observatory, and 20 miles east of Temecula. There have been reports of people feeling the quake from Twentynine Palms to downtown San Diego.
According to the USGS, a light 4.1 earthquake would not typically be expected to cause injury or damage.
A strong magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck remote northwestern China on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The quake struck the Qinghai province at a depth of 6.2 miles on Monday morning, the agency said. The USGS said the quake's epicenter was located 1,120 miles west of Beijing.
China's Earthquake Administration confirmed the earthquake, but said it had a magnitude of 6.3 on its scale. There were no immediate reports of casualties, said Zhang, a spokesman for the earthquake administration in Qinghai.
"We contacted the local authorities, but we are still investigating the situation for any damage or injuries," said Zhang, who gave only his surname as is common with Chinese officials.
China's far west is fairly earthquake-prone. A 7.9 magnitude earthquake on May 12 devastated parts of Sichuan province, just east of Tibet, killing 70,000 people and leaving 5 million homeless.
A powerful earthquake jolted parts of southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, leaving at least 150 people dead and hundreds more injured, officials said. The death toll was expected to rise.
The 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan, and several districts of the province between 4:30 a.m. and 5:10 a.m Wednesday, causing widespread destruction, the state-run news agency reported.
Nine aftershocks had been felt by 11 a.m., the officials said.
"It was a shallow earthquake, which are very destructive. The aftershocks will be felt for a week with more or less the same intensity," Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, the director general of Pakistan's Meteorological Department, said.
The epicenter was 112 kilometers, or 70 miles, north of Quetta. Chaudhry said the area was prone to earthquakes.
Army troops and medics were moved in two helicopters from Quetta to the villages of Warchoom and Kawas in the Ziarat District, one of the worst-affected areas, a military spokesman said. Other districts affected were Kuchlak, Pishin, Chaman, Mastung and Loralai.
Rescue teams scrambled to help the people in those areas as an emergency was declared in the province's hospitals.
Panic spread through Quetta on Wednesday morning as people spilled into the streets after the earthquake.
"It was scary," Malik Siraj Akbar, a resident of Quetta and a journalist for the Daily Times, an English-language newspaper, said by telephone.
"The walls of the apartment complex where I live shook so hard that I just closed my eyes and waited for the roof to collapse. I feel so lucky to be alive," Akbar said.
"My computer, my books, fell from the table. Everything was scattered."
He said many people who fled into the streets remained outside for hours. "Most were reluctant to go back inside the apartment complex," he said.
Junaid Tariq, an administrator at the Women's University in Quetta, said many of the houses in the villages hit by the earthquake are made of mud brick and wooden logs, and collapse easily. He said there was no electricity in Quetta.
Local television news networks showed people sitting under the open sky, shivering in the cold in the far-flung districts of the impoverished province. Women huddled together in groups with their frightened children.
Hundreds of mud-brick houses were leveled. People were seen rummaging through the rubble, looking for survivors and belongings.
Baluchistan is a mineral-rich area mainly of dry, mountainous terrain. A low-level insurgency has long simmered there as Baluch nationalists have taken up arms demanding greater autonomy and a share of the national wealth.
Pakistan lies in a high seismic activity area, the officials said. In 2005, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 75,000 people in the northern region and the part of the disputed Kashmir region it administers.
Germany offered cash aid to Islamabad on Wednesday after the earthquake in Pakistan.
In Berlin, the Foreign Ministry said 250,000 euros (315,000 dollars) would be available to relief organizations to supply tents, blankets and food to the devastated area.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who had visited Pakistan on Tuesday for political talks, sent a message to his Pakistani counterpart, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, voicing condolences to the victims.
The pre-dawn earthquake killed at least 160 people, media reports said Wednesday.
A minor earthquake occurred last night in the vicinity of Los Angeles International Airport, but there were no reports of damage, authorities said.
Caltech officials said the magnitude 3.0 temblor struck at 7:57 p.m. two miles north of El Segundo, which puts it in the LAX/Westchester area of Los Angeles.
A powerful 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck at sea Thursday off the Pacific coast, west of Vancouver Island, but was too small to generate a tsunami, Canadian and US officials reported.
The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 5:37am local time (1237 GMT) some 153 kilometers (95 miles) west-southwest of Port Hardy on the northern tip of the island, and 472 kilometers (293 miles) from Vancouver.
Natural Resources Canada said it was the largest of "a series of earthquakes occurring in the seismically active region" beginning late Monday.
"These earthquakes are too far offshore to be felt on land and too small to generate a tsunami," the government agency said.
Glen Plummer, spokesman for Emergency Management British Columbia, the province's emergency preparedness agency, said Thursday's pre-dawn earthquake was "nothing to be alarmed about," as it was "not an unusual event".
No reports of casualties or damage had come in to the agency, Plummer said.
Experts say Canada's Pacific Coast is overdue for a major earthquake, but a British Columbia government website on seismic activity points out that the province "experiences an earthquake every day, but only a small number of these quakes are noticeable and even fewer result in damage".
Thursday's quake was the latest of about two dozen temblors of magnitude 4 or above to strike in the area in the past 48 hours, according to the USGS. A 5.2-magnitude quake was the largest of those, striking the same area Wednesday.
"We're having a series in that area," Julie Martinez, a USGS geophysicist said. She said the number of earthquakes was not unusual.
"These earthquakes are too far offshore to be felt on land and too small to generate a tsunami," Natural Resources Canada said on its earthquakes Web site.
Vancouver Island sits off Canada's west coast. Its main city of Victoria sits at its southern end.
Judge Judy rules with an iron fist and at times it might seem like an earthquake is coming down when she delivers a no nonsense ruling, especially if you are on the losing end of a Judge Judy ruling. But when the Los Angeles earthquake hit on Tuesday the cameras (as always) were rolling in the courtroom as the earth was rolling and jumping form the California quake
The final tally on the rolling quake that hit Southern California is still coming in but it appears there were only minor injuries and property damage but it certainly was felt throughout Southern California and that means there is a ton of video from shows that were being taped as the earth moved.
One of those tapes is now online and it shows our favorite television judge a bit shook up as she rules on a case between a man and a woman. It is hard to tell what the case is about but the man looks a bit concerned once he begins to feel the quake and the people in the courtroom scatter.
See the video here and check out the look on the man's face as he wonders if he should leave or stay in the courtroom.
Seismic experts say we can expect a major destructive earthquake in British Columbia. We don't know when this will happen. But we do live in a region where some of the largest earthquakes in the world occur.
Arrange an out-of-the-area contact. Each family member should carry the contact
phone number and address. Have an alternative family rendezvous if you can't get
home.
Remind your family to rely on emergency authorities for guidance. Broadcast reports on radio and television will have instructions. Also remind your family members that emergency phone numbers are in the inside cover of the telephone book. But use them only in an extreme emergency. Your telephone may not work after an earthquake, or it may take a while to get a dial tone. Make sure each family member knows how to shut off the utilities gas, electricity and water. (Don't shut off the gas unless there is a leak or a fire. If the gas is turned off, don't turn it on again... that must be done by a qualified technician). Your plan should include a list of where emergency supplies and equipment are stored. Share your emergency plans with neighbors.
Your emergency supplies
Be prepared to be on your own without help for 72 hours or more--- at home, in your car, at work. Assemble these emergency supplies and keep them in your emergency kit, stored in a secure place, ideally accessible from outside.
First aid kit and instruction booklet. Shelter- a plastic tarp, a small tent, emergency ("space") blankets, or even some large garbage bags. Water- at least four litres of water per person, per day, in tight-lidded non-breakable containers. That's at least 12 litres per person for a three-day supply. Keep a supply of water purification tablets in your emergency kit. Water also can be made safe to drink by using four drops of liquid household bleach in 41/2 litres of clear water or 10 drops in 41/2 litres of cloudy water. Replace stored tap water at least every six months. If the water is still running, fill a bathtub and other containers. Remember, there's water available too in a hot water tank and toilet reservoir. Food- keep a suply of non-perishable food handy, such as canned and dehydrated food, dried fruit and canned juices. Rotate periodically to keem them fresh. Remember a manual can opener. Flashlight and spare batteries. Keep the flashlight near your bed. Batteries should be separate in your kit. Battery AM/FM radio and spare batteries, stored seperately in waterproof bags. Essential medication and supplies for infants, elderly persons and those with special needs. Keep at least a one-week supply in your emergency kit. Include copies of prescriptions for your medicine and glasses. Personal toiletry items- toilet tissue, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. Class ABC fire extinguisher. Keep it in a handy location in your home, after testing according to directions. Wrench (crescent or pipe) to turn off natural gas. Keep it in a handy place or in your emergency kit.
Shoes- heavy enough to protect from broken glass and other debris. Keep them handy, wherever you are.
Other items you may wish to include:
gloves, outdoor/winter clothing waterproof matches and candles- but don't use them if there are gas leaks or spilled flammable liquids money, including coins (25 cents) for telephones, because banks and credit cards may not be usable a sleeping bag for each member of your family garbage bags a portable toilet
When an earthquake occurs, your first warning may be a swaying sensation if you're in a building, a sudden noise or roar. Next, vibration, quickly followed by rolling up, down, sideways, rotating. It will be scary! It may last a few seconds or go on for a few minutes. The earth won't open up and swallow you. But you could be hurt by breaking glass, falling objects, and heavy things bouncing around. Be prepared for aftershocks.
You can't prevent an earthquake. But you can:
be prepared to avoid injury
be prepared to minimize damage to your home
be prepared to survive afterwards for at least 72 hours without help.
Preparing now could save your life! An earthquake could hit B.C. at any time, so start preparing by developing your family emergency plan.
Your family should prepare and practice what to do during and after an earthquake.
Plan your needs. Delegate tasks. Write down and exercise your plan. If you have no family, make your individual plan with neighbors and friends.
Know the safe and dangerous places in your home.
Safe: under heavy tables or desks; inside hallways; corners of rooms or archways.
Dangerous: near windows or mirrors; under any objects that can fall; the kitchen... where the stove, refrigerator or contents of cupboards may move violently; doorways, because the shaking may slam the door on
Train members of your family to use fire extinguishers. Sign up now for a first-aid course, including cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Make an appointment now with your insurance broker to talk about your earthquake insurance. Check your coverage... it will affect your loss and financial ability to recover after an earthquake. Plan and practice evacuation. Talk to your children about what to do if they're at home, at school, if the quake separates your family. Become familiar with the school's earthquake plan.
rope, heavy tape a crowbar or prybar a gasoline generator and a rated extension cord earthquake buddies for children (eg: stuffed animal, doll game) evacuation pack for each person (see below) vehicle pack for each vehicle (see below) office pack (see below)
Evacuation pack
The items in this list are in addition to the supplies in your home emergency kit. They should be kept in a separate pack (eg., in a tote bag) which each person would take individually if you have to evacuate.
Remember packs for small children, the elderly, the handicapped in your home. The evacuation pack should be stored in a secure place with your other emergency supplies.
food- dehydrated, dried fruit, high-energy bars, etc- enough for 72 hours first aid kit and booklets survival manual flashlight and batteries money, including coins photographs of your family, friends gloves and other warm clothing
Supplement those with items from your emergency supplies stored at home, including: bottled water- (ideally) 12 litres for 72 hours cooking utensils portable radio and batteries medications and toiletry items
Vehicle pack
The items in this list are in addition to the supplies in your home emergency kit. Keep them in a separate pack (eg: a tote bag) in your vehicle. There should be a pack for each vehicle in your household.
booster cables, tools bottled water- at least four litres canned food, dried fruit, nuts and a manual can opener outdoor clothing and a backpack sleeping bag(s), "space" blankets first aid kit, medication flashlight and spare batteries waterproof matches, candles toilet tissue, towelettes, "baggies" money, especially coins map of the region in which you live pen/pencil and paper
Also, keep your vehicle's gas tank at least 1/4 full.
Office pack
The items in this list are in addition to the supplies in your home emergency kit. Keep them in a separate pack (eg: in a tote bag) stored in a convenient place in your office, handy to walk home or to safety.
gloves, heavy shoes, outdoor clothing emergency ("space")
blankets flashlight, radio and batteries (stored separately in waterproof bags) a whistle dried fruit, nuts, high-energy food bars small photos of your family, friends piece of paper with your name, address and medical information
Preparing your Home
Go through your home, imagining what could happen to each part of it if it were shaken violently. If you live in a condo or apartment building, you may experience more sway and less vibration than in a single-storey building. Work with your building or strata corporation manager to help quake-proof your home. Seek advice from professionals (insurance, engineers, architects) if you are unsure what to do. Previous earthquakes have proven that these items need attention:
Check for home hazards: Is the house bolted to its foundations? Are the walls braced? Chimneys weak? Are roof tiles loose? Make necessary repairs now! Tie down your water heater and other appliances that could break gas or water lines if they topple. Secure top-heavy furniture (eg: shelving units) to prevent tipping. Keep heavy items on lower shelves. Fix mirrors and other hanging objects so they won't fall of hooks. Locate beds away from chimneys, windows, heavy pictures, etc. Closed curtains will help keep broken window glass off nearby occupied beds. Put anti-skid pads (eg: Velcro) under TVs, VCRs, computers and small appliances. Store valuable documents and special small keepsakes in a fire-resistant place. Keep sturdy shoes and outdoor clothing handy. Use child-proof or safety latches on cupboards to stop contents from spilling out. Keep flammable items and household chemicals away from heat and where they can't spill. Keep them in a safe cupboard if they can't be stored in an outside shed. Put plywood up in the attic on joists around each chimney to help prevent bricks and mortar from coming through a ceiling.
During the earthquake
Preparations for an earthquake include knowing what to do while it is happening. By learning and practicing what you should try to do, you will be more able to remain calm enough to protect yourself and help others. Even if you have a plan for your home, you may be away. Know what to do, wherever you are. In summary, you should take cover and stay there.
If you're inside your home, stay there. Get out of the kitchen... safer places are inside halls, in corners, in archways. Take cover under a heavy table, desk or any solid furniture that you can get under and hold onto. Protect your head and face. Doors may slam on your fingers if you're in a doorway. Avoid areas near windows. If you're in a yard outside your home, stay there and get clear of buildings and wires that could fall on you. Don't go outside where you may be hit by falling debris... sidewalks next to tall buildings are particularly dangerous. Avoid elevators... if you're in an elevator when an earthquake happens, hit all floor buttons and get out when you can. High rise residents will hear fire alarms go off and electricity may fail. If you're in a vehicle, pull over to the side (leave the road clear), away from bridges, overpasses and buildings. Stay in your vehicle. If you're in a crowded public place, take cover and watch that you don't get trampled. In shopping centres, take cover in the nearest store and keep away from windows, skylights and display shelves of heavy objects. Remain in a protected place until the shaking stops. Anticipate aftershocks... they may occur soon after the first quake. Try to remain calm and help others.
After the earthquake
Preparations for an earthquake also include knowing what to do, and not to do, after the shaking stops... when there is danger from after shocks, fires, falling building materials, debris, etc. Remain calm. You may have to take charge of others. Take care of life-threatening situations first. Remember, you may be on your own for 72 hours or more.
Check your home for structural damage and other hazards. Check yourself and others nearby for injuries... administer first aid quickly and carefully. If you are evacuating, locate and take your pack of emergency supplies with you.
Use a flashlight to check utilities and do not shut them off unless damaged. Leaking gas will smell. Don't light matches or turn on light switches... until you are sure there are no gas leaks or flammable liquids. Wear sturdy shoes, gloves and protective clothing if it's winter and/or if there's debris, particularly broken glass. Check your neighbors after looking after your own family. Your first help after an earthquake usually will come from family and friends. Place a HELP sign in windows if you need extra assistance. Confine frightened pets. Don't flush toilets if you suspect nearby sewer lines are broken. Secure your home against intruders. Turn on your battery-powered radio (or car radio) and listen for broadcast emergency instructions. Don't use your telephone, except in an extreme (life-threatening) emergency. Stay at least ten metres from downed power lines. Avoid waterfront areas because of the threat of large waves (tsunamis).
Want to do more?
Now that you've taken care of the basics, you may want to take additional steps to protect yourself and others. Remember- you may be on your own for 72 hours or more. What you do will depend on your particular situation. You could:
Check with your insurance broker to learn if you have adequate earthquake insurance. Learn what your policy covers and determine if you are sufficiently protected to minimize your financial loss from an earthquake. Volunteer any special skills you have to your Municipal Emergency Program Co-ordinator. Involve your neighborhood in earthquake preparedness... by helping elderly neighbors to prepare their homes, by agreeing to check on each other after an earthquake and to care for pets. Plan for special needs for infants, the elderly and the handicapped, in case pharmacies and other stores are closed for several days. If your family includes people with impaired mobility, hearing or sight, see the list of useful contacts at the end of this document to get special preparedness details for them. If you depend on electric power for life support or a wheelchair,
you may wish to have a small generator with extra fuel handy. Review the supplies that you would need to be self-sufficient and comfortable for at least 72 hours. In addition to basics, there are many items such as plastic sheets or dust masks that you may want to acquire, or perhaps games and comfort items for children. Sources of advice are shown below.
Planning for earthquakes will also help prepare you for many other emergencies.
Be prepared, not scared.
Want to find out more?
After you have followed the advice in this booklet, more local information on how to prepare for an earthquake should be available from your Municipal Emergency Program Coordinator. Call your City Hall, Municipal Hall, or District Office.
Assistance also may be available from officials at your local school board office, hospital, police and fire stations. Other sources for additional information include:
Provincial Emergency Program Victoria (250) 952-4913 or a PEP Regional Office
Emergency Preparedness Canada Victoria (250) 363-3621
Insurance Bureau of Canada Vancouver (604) 684-3635
Still need more information?
Every effort has been made, within the limited space available, to provide you with useful information to prepare effectively for an earthquake in B.C. However, some detailed information is available from technical sources, including a brochure for businesses in B.C.
If you require more information, please note your request on a piece of paper with your name, address and telephone number, then mail it to:
A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck near the Los Angeles suburb of Chino Hills just before noon today, causing strong shaking and a power outage but just minor damage. The quake was felt from Arizona to Nevada.
The epicenter of the quake was located about 28 miles east-southeast of Los Angeles city center and 8.5 miles deep beneath the Earth's surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Nearly 50 aftershocks have been recorded so far, most of them small, said the USGS, the largest being a magnitude 3.8 temblor.
People who felt the earthquake can go online and report their observations on the USGS Did You Feel It? website. So far, about 35,000 people have reported feeling the Chino Hills earthquake.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he spoke to Los Angeles and Chino Hills officials to check on the status of their communities and to offer them whatever assistance they need from the state.
"Our state Office of Emergency Services has reached out to local governments in the affected area to ensure that levees, bridges and other critical infrastructure are inspected and declared safe," the governor said.
Southern California Edison's transmission and generation systems were operating normally today after the quake, but some customers near the epicenter lost power.
Initially, an estimated 5,000 customers were without service in the areas of Chino Hills, Chino, La Habra, Diamond Bar and Pomona. The utility says power is expected to be fully restored tonight.
The earthquake was felt at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station site. There were no safety issues reported and no indications of any damage. Both units at the plant continue to operate normally.
"Even though it felt like the strongest earthquake Chino Hills residents could remember, when the shaking stopped, all was well in Chino Hills," city officials said.
After the earthquake, police, fire, and city crews performed an assessment of the city of 78,957 residents and reported no major damages nor injuries.
The Gas Company did not identify any issues following an aerial assessment and physical check of two major gas lines in the City.
City crews checked water reservoirs, pump stations, traffic signals, and road conditions. Verizon reported a heavy increase in cell phone traffic which hampered cell phone service for a period of time.
The USGS says earthquakes cannot be predicted but earthquake-prone areas such as Los Angeles can be prepared. The federal agency is getting ready for a series of preparation events coming up in November.
The Great Southern California ShakeOut, a weeklong series of events featuring a massive earthquake drill on November 13, in Los Angeles, is one way for the public to get prepared for the next big earthquake. It is being sponsored by the Earthquake Country Alliance, of which the USGS is a founding member.
The ShakeOut drill centers on the ShakeOut Scenario, a realistic portrayal of what could happen in a major earthquake on the southern end of the San Andreas Fault.
Created by over 300 experts led by Dr. Lucy Jones of USGS, the scenario outlines a hypothetical 7.8 magnitude earthquake originating near the Salton Sea, which would have the potential to devastate the region.
With a goal of at least five million participants, the ShakeOut drill will be the largest in U.S. history. Southern Californians are signing up at www.shakeout.org/register, to pledge their family, business, or organization's participation in the drill.
Registered participants receive information on how to prepare and drill, connect with other participants, and encourage a dialogue within the community about earthquake preparedness. In the first six weeks of registration, over 1.9 million people have registered to be part of the drill.
