LESSONS FROM PAST LESSONS FROM PAST NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESNOTABLE EARTHQUAKES

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna,

Virginia, USA 

PAST NOTABLE PAST NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

L’AQUILA, ITALYL’AQUILA, ITALY

APRIL 6, 2009APRIL 6, 2009

EARTHQAKES ARE EARTHQAKES ARE DYNAMIC DYNAMIC LABORATORIESLABORATORIES FOR FOR

LEARNING AND CATALYSTS LEARNING AND CATALYSTS FOR FOR BUILDING CAPACITY BUILDING CAPACITY

FOR FOR DISASTER-INTELLIGENT DISASTER-INTELLIGENT & DISASTER-RESILIENT & DISASTER-RESILIENT

COMMUNITESCOMMUNITES

THE L’AQUILA, ITALY AREA THE L’AQUILA, ITALY AREA WAS DEVASTATED BY A WAS DEVASTATED BY A

MODERATE EARTHQUAKEMODERATE EARTHQUAKE

M6.3M6.33:30 AM3:30 AM

APRIL 6, 2009APRIL 6, 2009

OCCURRENCEOCCURRENCE

LOCATIONLOCATION

L'AQUILA (A TOWN OF 70,000) AND L'AQUILA (A TOWN OF 70,000) AND 26 VILLAGES DEVASTATED26 VILLAGES DEVASTATED

INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO HORIZONTAL GROUND SHAKING

EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

SOIL AMPLIFICATION

PERMANENT DISPLACEMENT (SURFACE FAULTING & GROUND

FAILURE)

IRREGULARITIES IN ELEVATION AND PLAN

FIRE FOLLOWING RUPTURE OF UTILITIES

LACK OF DETAILING AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

INATTENTION TO NON-STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS

CAUSES OF DAMAGE

CAUSES OF DAMAGE

“DISASTER LABORATORIES”

“DISASTER LABORATORIES”

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

PREPAREDNESS PREPAREDNESS PLANNING FOR PLANNING FOR THE THE INEVITABLE INEVITABLE GROUND SHAKING GROUND SHAKING IS ESSENTIAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCERESILIENCE..

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

PROTECTION OF PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS AND BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE INFRASTRUCTURE IS ESSENTIAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCERESILIENCE..

IMPACTS IMPACTS

BUILDINGSBUILDINGS

SANTA MARIA PAGANICA CHURCHSANTA MARIA PAGANICA CHURCH

A COLLAPSED SCHOOL: A A COLLAPSED SCHOOL: A PROTECTION NIGHTMAREPROTECTION NIGHTMAREA COLLAPSED SCHOOL: A A COLLAPSED SCHOOL: A PROTECTION NIGHTMAREPROTECTION NIGHTMARE

COLLAPSE OF A COLLAPSE OF A SCHOOL, SCHOOL, A “SAFE A “SAFE HAVEN,” HAVEN,” WITH THE WITH THE LOSS OF YOUNG LOSS OF YOUNG LIVES, CAN LIVES, CAN PARALYZE A PARALYZE A COMMUNITY WITH COMMUNITY WITH GRIEFGRIEF..

ONNA: 3 MILES FROM L'AQUILAONNA: 3 MILES FROM L'AQUILA

ONNAONNA

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

PREPAREDNESS PREPAREDNESS PLANNING FOR PLANNING FOR THE THE INEVITABLE INEVITABLE GROUND FAILURE GROUND FAILURE IS ESSENTIAL IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY FOR COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.RESILIENCE.

L'AQUILA: SITE EFFECTS FROM L'AQUILA: SITE EFFECTS FROM LOCATION IN OLD LAKE BEDLOCATION IN OLD LAKE BED

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

CAPACITY FOR CAPACITY FOR EMERGENCY EMERGENCY RESPONSE RESPONSE IS IS ESSENTIAL FOR ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY RESILIENCERESILIENCE..

SEARCH AND RESCUESEARCH AND RESCUE

SEARCH AND RESCUESEARCH AND RESCUE

SEARCH AND RESCUESEARCH AND RESCUE

EVACUEE ASLEEP IN CAREVACUEE ASLEEP IN CAR

EVACUATION CENTER: UNIVERSITY EVACUATION CENTER: UNIVERSITY SPORTS CENTERSPORTS CENTER

EVACUEES: A STADIUMEVACUEES: A STADIUM

EVACUEES HOUSED IN STADIUMEVACUEES HOUSED IN STADIUM

LESSONS LEARNED FOR LESSONS LEARNED FOR DISASTER RESILIENCEDISASTER RESILIENCE

ALL NOTABLE ALL NOTABLE EARTHQUAKESEARTHQUAKES

CAPACITY FOR CAPACITY FOR RECOVERY AND RECOVERY AND RECONSTRUCTIONRECONSTRUCTION IS ESSENTIAL FOR IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY RESILIENCERESILIENCE..

VULNERABLE UNREINFORCED VULNERABLE UNREINFORCED MASONRY BUILDINGS DAMAGEDMASONRY BUILDINGS DAMAGED UNIVERSITY DORM COLLAPSESUNIVERSITY DORM COLLAPSES VULNERABLE VULNERABLE INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGEDINFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGED

AT LEAST TWO HUNDRED DEAD AT LEAST TWO HUNDRED DEAD AND TWO THOUSAND INJUREDAND TWO THOUSAND INJURED TENS OF THOUSANDS LEFT TENS OF THOUSANDS LEFT HOMELESSHOMELESS

Many earthquake survivors Many earthquake survivors had to be transported to had to be transported to RomeRome for surgery and/or for surgery and/or treatment due to shortage of treatment due to shortage of resources in the L’Aquila resources in the L’Aquila areaarea