A 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Hualien City, Taiwan on April 3, 2024. This was Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years. Hualien City is on the east coast of Taiwan with lots of mountains; the city is home to about 100,000 citizens. Many buildings were damaged but the most notable is the Uranus Building that was semicollapsed. Taiwan was well prepared for this earthquake. Taiwan has upgraded its seismic infrastructures since a series of 1999 earthquakes. Taiwan now uses modern building codes and robust early-warning systems. Taiwan is prone to earthquakes. They, along with California, lie along the “Pacific Ring of Fire.”
Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University, states “Taiwan’s earthquake preparedness is among the most advanced in the world. The island has implemented strict building codes, a world-class seismological network, and widespread public education campaigns on earthquake safety.” (Why is Taiwan so exposed to earthquakes but so prepared to withstand the massive tremors? | PBS NewsHour). The world could just have a bit of Taiwan’s ideas.
On 5 April, a 4.8 earthquake hit New Jersey and was felt across the East Coast including New York City. In the wake of the earthquake, New Yorkers came onto TikTok to express their experience. Californians came onto the scene when some said that 4.8 is nothing to compared what California has gone through. Some have shown the ‘damage’ of what happened and it was a street cone tipped over on the street.
California lies in the Ring of Fire, an area that is a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes. We are prone to earthquakes. We have been trained for the ‘ Big One’ practically since we were in elementary school. Those Great Shakeout Drills were all to prepare to drop, cover, and hold on. The San Andreas Fault is a fault that runs through 750 miles through California. The fault was first discovered by UC Berkeley professor Andrew Larson in the wake of the 1906 San Fransico earthquake that devastated the city and is remembered as the deadliest earthquake in U.S. history. According to the California Earthquake Authority, the San Andreas Fault is more specifically, “…. The longest fault in California, slicing through Los Angeles County along the north side of the San Gabriel Mountains. It can cause powerful earthquakes- as long big as magnitude 8.” A study done by the U.S. Geological Survey indicates that a part of the San Andreas Fault can be long overdue for an earthquake. To keep yourself updated on any information, read more on California Earthquake Risk Map & Faults By County. Researchers have noticed that the San Andreas Fault has a history of quakes every couple 22 years, the last major tremor was in 2004 with a 6-magnitude earthquake.
In order to keep safe in case of any disaster, it’s important to keep yourself safe. Please refer to Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills – Drop, Cover, and Hold On for safety precautions.
