Week 3: Preventing Earthquake Catastrophes

 Hello everyone! Welcome to my Week 3 Blog. :)

This week, we learned more about earthquakes, specifically the way countries have learned to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts they produce. 

Jamaica's Seismicity | Earthquake Unit

Annually, around 200 earthquakes occur in and around Jamaica, most of which have magnitudes of less than 4.0. The regions that have the highest seismic hazard are located in Jamaicas most important urban areas, located in the southeastern region of the island (seen in map above). In just last year alone, Jamaica experienced an unusual surge in seismic activity, with a total of over 320 earthquakes. According to the Earthquake Unit, this number of recorded events surpassed the numbers documented in past years. Out of these events, the largest one had a magnitude of 5.6, which categorizes it as a moderate earthquake. 

Now you may be wondering: How does Jamaica prepare for, prevent, and mitigate the effects of the earthquakes they so frequently experience?  The Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management in Jamaica, Major Clive Davis, said that there is a set of procedures that exist in order to prepare for and manage earthquakes. 

First, he said that shelves as well as tall, standing furniture should be bolted to the wall. Then, he said that people should avoid hanging mirrors and heavy photographs over sitting areas, and use velcro to secure fragile items or light appliances displayed on shelves or bookcases. Lastly, he mentioned that it is vital to ensure that the buildings In Jamaica have foundations that are strong. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management make sure to share these safety procedures in presentations and earthquake drills in schools and communities, and encourages Jamaicans to be more proactive is disaster preparation. 

Major Clive Davis also stated that in preparing for earthquakes there are four areas Jamaica needs to succeed in: land management, how they build when working to manage seismic hazards, public education and senitsation about earthquakes, and individual response during an earthquake. 

Moreover, in order to strengthen Jamaica's resilience against natural disasters, there has been work done to pass a modern building law to set the acceptable local and international standards for construction. Also, municipal corporations now play a greater role in disaster risk management. Therefore, the future for earthquake prevention, preparation, and mitigation in Jamaica is promising! 

References: 

https://www.mona.uwi.edu/earthquake/jamaicas-seismicity#:~:text=About%20200%20earthquakes%20are%20located,Newmarket%20belt%20in%20western%20Jamaica. 

https://cloud-storage.globalquakemodel.org/public/wix-new-website/pdf-collections-wix/risk%20profiles/jam_eq_risk_profile.pdf 

https://www.caribbeannationalweekly.com/news/caribbean-news/jamaica-rattled-by-more-than-300-earthquakes-so-far-in-2023/ 

https://jis.gov.jm/earthquake-preparations-major-component-of-disaster-management/ 

Comments

  1. Ana GGFebruary 12, 2024 at 11:24 AM

    Very interesting- looking forward to tsunamis this week!

    ReplyDelete

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