Post by Lia on Apr 15, 2014 0:51:12 GMT
Hello (:
The final post!!...finally
This are some considerations to keep in mind.
Final Considerations
A person never gets used to an earthquake, despite the fact that you already know what is going on; it is a situation where you don’t have any kind of control, except of your body.
Some people will not evacuate. They have their own reasons to do it.
Recent technology in mobile phones has made possible to make evacuations in coasts away from the epicenter. Here there’s a system,which I had no idea it existed. As soon there’s an earthquake, almost every cell phone gets a text message with this: “Tsunami alert. You must evacuate to a safety zone”. It’s much better than hearing this (the sound itself is enough to freak you out). If the government and official sources decide there is no need for evacuation they send you another text with this: “Tsunami alert is cancelled. Evacuation is not necessary”. This has two sides. One where it is completely usefull, and another one, where people who live too far away from the coast doesn't need this at all. I look for some information, this system costs money and not every cell phone is compatible with the system. I don't know the requirements for a mobile to qualify for this system, I have an old mobile phone, it doesn't even have an operational system, and I still get this messages, while a friend has a new model, and hasn't get any message.
Despise being a chaotic situation; people will look after each other. Anyone with the necessary will, will volunteer to help.
Aftershocks might last from days to years. It’s a common thing to happen.
After an earthquake many people create their own emergency kit, in case something else happens. It’s usually a backpack with some clothes, flashlights, batteries, matches, candles, bottled water, toilet paper, medicines, money, keys, and some canned food, among others.
Some cities move after an earthquake, just a few centimeters; some other cities disappear completely and a subsequent relocation. Rivers might change their courses. Some pieces of land might elevate and some other might descend of their levels.
Remember fires. Some places, like laboratories and industries, work with dangerous material, if they mix or get released, they might get into chemical reactions. Some of these reactions will lead to nothing, some products might be corrosive, and others might explode.
Also keep in mind old buildings. Remember old churches, old government buildings, and graveyards. Some cemeteries fall, letting corpses fall from their coffins. If there’s not a specialized team which identifies the bodies or skeletons, they will be placed in mass graves. If there’s a team who can identify the remaining bones, it will be a slow process, years if they don’t get any help. This situation has a different effect on people. They already buried a beloved one, knowing they are out again will create a new grieving process.
It is possible to have more than one epicenter.
There’s a correlation between how long an earthquake last and the damages it causes.
Different soils react in a different way to earthquakes. Sand, rocks, clay, loose stones, among others absorb vibrations differently. Buildings in different soils will also react differently.
Some people do ask about the meaning of life during an earthquake.
One place might be affected in different ways by an earthquake. In a house, for example, not all rooms will look the same after an earthquake.
Don’t forget children. They don’t know what is happening. Explaining the events without scaring them is the best for them.
Mercali scale and Richter scale measure completely different things. Mercali measures people reaction and the destruction caused, while Richter measures the energy released during an earthquake. As an example, in May 22 of 1962 an earthquake stroke some Chilean cities, Mercali scale leveled it as XI and XII (the highest levels), while Richter leveled in 9.5 or 9.6.
Don’t forget animals. Dogs and cats have a more developed sense of hearing. Sound travels via waves, humans can sense a limited spectrum while non human animals sense in a different spectrum. Animals get scared too; don’t forget them.
Some people will refuse to sleep with the door closed (actually this is highly advice), some people will refuse to go outside, if you lived the earthquake somewhere that is not your home, you might feel stressed being in that certain place.
Talking about the earthquake with your family, friends and even strangers is part of the normal healing process. Even months after is a common way to start a conversation with a stranger about the earthquake and how they lived it.
Memorials for the victims might be erect. The country also needs a healing process too. Remembering the date is also important to people, is a common thing to light candles in the places that were more damaged.
Despise official organism telling people is not safe to go back to their houses, some will do it anyway. For some people a house is more than a place to live.
Some people after losing everything will consider photographs more important than everything else.
If people get missing official search will start, but they will fade as time passes. Civilian search might start soon after.
One of the main differences between living an earthquake during daytime and nighttime, is in daytime you can see the effects right away, if you live it at night, besides being the longest night of your life, you will see the effects the next day. Even after having the chance of calming down and relaxing a little, if the destruction around you is on a large scale, nothing will prepare you for what you’ll see.
Probably I left something behind. There are some topics I wrote only a few things about, I didn't feel the need to write about them, in any case if there are some questions, feel free to ask them
You've all survived an earthquake now!!
*walks away into the sunset*
One more thing! Just like with any other tragedy, don’t romanticize it.
The final post!!...
This are some considerations to keep in mind.
Final Considerations
A person never gets used to an earthquake, despite the fact that you already know what is going on; it is a situation where you don’t have any kind of control, except of your body.
Some people will not evacuate. They have their own reasons to do it.
Recent technology in mobile phones has made possible to make evacuations in coasts away from the epicenter. Here there’s a system,
Despise being a chaotic situation; people will look after each other. Anyone with the necessary will, will volunteer to help.
Aftershocks might last from days to years. It’s a common thing to happen.
After an earthquake many people create their own emergency kit, in case something else happens. It’s usually a backpack with some clothes, flashlights, batteries, matches, candles, bottled water, toilet paper, medicines, money, keys, and some canned food, among others.
Some cities move after an earthquake, just a few centimeters; some other cities disappear completely and a subsequent relocation. Rivers might change their courses. Some pieces of land might elevate and some other might descend of their levels.
Remember fires. Some places, like laboratories and industries, work with dangerous material, if they mix or get released, they might get into chemical reactions. Some of these reactions will lead to nothing, some products might be corrosive, and others might explode.
Also keep in mind old buildings. Remember old churches, old government buildings, and graveyards. Some cemeteries fall, letting corpses fall from their coffins. If there’s not a specialized team which identifies the bodies or skeletons, they will be placed in mass graves. If there’s a team who can identify the remaining bones, it will be a slow process, years if they don’t get any help. This situation has a different effect on people. They already buried a beloved one, knowing they are out again will create a new grieving process.
It is possible to have more than one epicenter.
There’s a correlation between how long an earthquake last and the damages it causes.
Different soils react in a different way to earthquakes. Sand, rocks, clay, loose stones, among others absorb vibrations differently. Buildings in different soils will also react differently.
Some people do ask about the meaning of life during an earthquake.
One place might be affected in different ways by an earthquake. In a house, for example, not all rooms will look the same after an earthquake.
Don’t forget children. They don’t know what is happening. Explaining the events without scaring them is the best for them.
Mercali scale and Richter scale measure completely different things. Mercali measures people reaction and the destruction caused, while Richter measures the energy released during an earthquake. As an example, in May 22 of 1962 an earthquake stroke some Chilean cities, Mercali scale leveled it as XI and XII (the highest levels), while Richter leveled in 9.5 or 9.6.
Don’t forget animals. Dogs and cats have a more developed sense of hearing. Sound travels via waves, humans can sense a limited spectrum while non human animals sense in a different spectrum. Animals get scared too; don’t forget them.
Some people will refuse to sleep with the door closed (actually this is highly advice), some people will refuse to go outside, if you lived the earthquake somewhere that is not your home, you might feel stressed being in that certain place.
Talking about the earthquake with your family, friends and even strangers is part of the normal healing process. Even months after is a common way to start a conversation with a stranger about the earthquake and how they lived it.
Memorials for the victims might be erect. The country also needs a healing process too. Remembering the date is also important to people, is a common thing to light candles in the places that were more damaged.
Despise official organism telling people is not safe to go back to their houses, some will do it anyway. For some people a house is more than a place to live.
Some people after losing everything will consider photographs more important than everything else.
If people get missing official search will start, but they will fade as time passes. Civilian search might start soon after.
One of the main differences between living an earthquake during daytime and nighttime, is in daytime you can see the effects right away, if you live it at night, besides being the longest night of your life, you will see the effects the next day. Even after having the chance of calming down and relaxing a little, if the destruction around you is on a large scale, nothing will prepare you for what you’ll see.
Probably I left something behind. There are some topics I wrote only a few things about, I didn't feel the need to write about them, in any case if there are some questions, feel free to ask them
You've all survived an earthquake now!!
*walks away into the sunset*
One more thing! Just like with any other tragedy, don’t romanticize it.