Disaster Safety Blog

Living on shaky ground: Learning from New Zealand's quakes

A 4.7-magnitude earthquake that researchers described as the largest in Arkansas in 35 years was recorded late Sunday night near Greenbrier. It was the latest in a swarm of quakes that has bedeviled the region since early last fall, according to The New York Times. There were no reports of major damage, though some residents spoke of dislodged screen doors and cracked ceilings. Damage or not, some said this was the longest and scariest quake yet, the newspaper reports.

This earthquake swarm in Arkansas should serve as a reminder of the seismic risks facing properties in surrounding states, including Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee to name a few. So what can residents living in these areas do to become better prepared? Learning from the recent quakes in New Zealand is a good place to start.

SmartPlanet.com's recent interview wtih Thomas O’Rourke, an engineering professor at Cornell University, focused on the earthquake in New Zealand last month that killed dozens of people and toppled buildings in Christchurch. O'Rourke says this event has implications for future disasters in the United States.

O’Rourke, who lived and worked in Christchurch, explained why an earthquake with a moderate intensity level caused such destruction — and what lessons we should take away from the disaster. 

Here is an excerpt from the interview. Read the full report at SmartPlanet.com.

SmartPlanet.com: Since this was a moderate earthquake, how do you explain the level of damage?

O'Rourke: The New Zealanders are among some of the best seismic engineers in the world. They have one of the oldest codes. It’s certainly as old as the code in the United States for earthquakes. They also have a very up-to-date approach to structural design, disaster preparedness, understanding the effects of earthquakes on their built infrastructure and undertaking measures to ensure as good a performance as possible from their lifeline networks, such as transportation, water supply, electric power, telecommunications. They had a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 4, 2010. The epicenter of this earthquake was located about 12 to 15 kilometers to the west of Christchurch. It’s very close and they did sustain significant levels of acceleration and other types of ground motion and they had massive liquefaction during that event. Yet not a single person died.

That reflects more than luck. It reflects many of the codes they had in place for their more modern buildings and the steps they’d taken to ensure that there would be a reliable response from their infrastructure.

The second event [in New Zealand] is really extraordinary in the fact that it was a rupture that occurred underneath the port of Lyttelton and a little north of Lyttelton, very close to the business district of Christchurch. It generated some significant dynamic movements or strong ground motions and it had a very significant impact on the built environment.

The central business district of Christchurch has a lot of unreinforced masonry structures. Many, if not the grand majority, of the unreinforced masonry structures have either collapsed or sustained serious damage.

The type of motion we’re seeing from this small magnitude earthquake, because of its proximity to the central business district, is very similar to the ground shaking one might [see] in earthquakes in the United States. [This is in places] where the infrastructure and ground behavior has certain very similar characteristics to what we see in Christchurch. In 1812, there were three earthquakes in the Mississippi River area. There is historical evidence for soil liquefaction. If you want a good likeness to what would happen if we had a severe earthquake in the New Madrid zone, all you’d have to do is look at the central business district of Christchurch.

We have even a greater concentration of unreinforced masonry structures in places like Memphis and St. Louis that would be vulnerable to this type of event. We know that recent sediments from the Mississippi River are very similar to those of sediments in New Zealand. So when you look at the massive liquefaction in Christchurch, you don’t have to have a lot of imagination to understand what would actually happen in a large and severe Midwestern earthquake.

Severe weather rips through nation's mid-section

Severe Awareness Week got off to an active start in many states Monday with storms damaging properties in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio with high winds, heavy rains and localized flooding.

Teams from the National Weather Service are investigating the aftermath of storms in several of these areas to see if tornadoes or straight-line winds were the cause of widespread property damage.

Tornadoes were reported in Missouri, where five people were killed during the severe weather. A rare winter tornado was confirmed in Fairfield County, Ohio, on Monday morning and left behind severe property damage.

As the spring approaches and storm season ramps up, take steps to prepare your home or business before severe weather threatens. When repairing storm damage, consider ways to strengthen the property against future storms. IBHS offers expert guidance for both of these approaches.

Visit www.DisasterSafety.org, where you can enter your ZIP Code to see what natural hazards you face and get property protection information to reduce the risk of damage.

CEA rolls out retrofit program in California

California’s nonprofit earthquake insurance provider is shaking up its efforts to protect lives and property, the Sacramento Business Journal reports.

The California Earthquake Authority (CEA), which is an IBHS member company, is devoting $23 million to launch a retrofit program that would give owners $1,000 each to improve their home's ability to withstand quake damage. The newspaper says the program could boost business for remodeling contractors during the weak economy.

CEA Earthquake Response Manager Dan Dyce joined IBHS and representatives from the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Earthquakes: Mean Business conference earlier this month in St. Louis. Dyce briefly discussed plans for the retrofit program during a panel discussion, which included IBHS, CUSEC and FEMA representatives, who discussed structural and non-structural retrofit options and business continuity planning tools.

IBHS offers the Open for Business^® program to help small business owners prioritize their plans to safeguard their business against all types of natural and manmade risks, including earthquakes. Download a free copy.

Building code update would require stronger enforcement in Memphis

An update to the commercial building code in Memphis, Tenn., which is considered among the cities at highest risk of damage from an earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, is expected to take effect this spring, pending final approval by city and county officials, according to the Commercial Appeal. The newspaper reports "the code will make buildings not just safer, but better, more serviceable."

According to the report, the new rules will require more inspections to ensure the code is being met. The existing code lacks enforcement requirements.

The new seismic codes emphasize creating a continuous load path from the roof to the foundation with the intent of increasing the building's ability to do more than just allow people to escape prior to a collapse, according to the newspaper.

The newspaper also reports along with the code update, there also is now an increased focus on encouraging non-structural mitigation, such as securing bookshelves, hanging fixtures and appliances, to prevent items from falling on people. Falling objects are the major source of damage due to earthquakes in the Midwest, according to the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC). Both of these factors will allow a busienss to re-open quickly with little or no damage after an earthquake.

Structural and non-structural mitigation, along with a push for strong building codes and enforcement in the Midwest, were the focus of an earthquake outreach initiative conducted by IBHS, CUSEC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency earlier this month in five states, including Tennessee.

The newspaper describes the new Tennessee building code classifications in four ways:

Collapse prevention. It's like the crumple zone of a car. The auto may be totaled, but you can walk away from a crash.

Life safety. Better secures nonstructural elements of a building, such as light fixtures and bookcases that could fall on people. The building might still be unusable or require massive renovation, but its occupants were able to get out. This is the level the updated code is targeting most buildings, Paullus said.

Immediate occupancy. Building withstands a quake so well that it's repairable with a few months of work.

Essential structures. These are buildings everyone will depend on for recovery and order should a quake hit. They include police and fire stations, hospital operating rooms and military installations. These structures are so resistant, a quake may cause people inside to fall, but they can get up and go back to work.

For more information on protecting businesses and homes from earthquake damage through structural and non-structural mitigation projects, download a free copy of the IBHS guide "Earthquake Risk Around the U.S. - How to Protect Your Property."

Fire season takes early toll in Virginia

The fire season is only weeks old in Virginia, but wildfires have already claimed 45 homes and other structures, fire officials report.

Dry conditions and high winds have fueled 150 blazes that have scorched more than 4,500 acres since igniting Saturday. At one point, 700 homes were in the path of a fire before firefighters gained control of the blaze. Weather conditions have improved today, which should aid in the fire fight.

IBHS offers resources to help home and business owners protect properties against wildfire damage. Download a free copy of the IBHS Wildfire Retrofit Guide: Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Edition, which includes information specifically developed for Virginia properties.

Wildfire is focus of spring work at IBHS Research Center

Engineers at the IBHS Research Center are hard at work creating ember storms to see how homes and businesses can be better constructed and retrofitted to be withstand wildfires.

IBHS researchers are working with experts from the Savannah River National Laboratory, the U.S. Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Research Station and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate to prepare for the first-ever full-scale wildfire simulation. The simulation will be conducted in March at the lab in South Carolina, and it is just the beginning of wildfire research to be conducted there.

During the simulation on March 24, a 1,200 square foot, one-story home will be placed on the turntable in the lab's large test chamber. The home will be subjected to radiant heat and a wind-blown ember shower to demonstrate differences in ignition potential between various construction techniques, building materials, and landscaping materials.

Wildfire is a threat in 38 states. Find out how to protect your home or business with an IBHS wildfire retrofit guide created for your region. Visit www.DisasterSafety.org/wildfire .

IBHS, CUSEC and FEMA Hit the Road for an Earthquake Outreach Initiative in the Midwest

2011 marks the 200^th anniversary of the New Madrid Earthquakes, which were several of the most devastating quakes the U.S. has ever experienced.  The New Madrid Seismic Zone includes seven states (AR, IA, IL, KY, MO, MS, TN) and the Earthquake Outreach Initiative is making stops in four of those states this week.

The Outreach trio of IBHS, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) met with residents and business owners in Jonesboro, Ark., Jackson, Tenn., Paducah, Ky., and Carterville, Ill. to provide information about how to reduce their earthquake risk.

Yesterday, the team was in Shrewsbury, Mo. and will wrap up the initiative today with a presentation at the Earthquakes: Mean Business event, which marks the official kickoff of the New Madrid Bicentennial, in St. Louis, Mo. FEMA Director Craig Fugate will be the keynote speaker at the St. Louis event.

The theme of the initiative is “Identify your Risk, Make a Plan, and Take Action.” Residents and business owners will learn more about earthquakes in their communities; become familiar with available resources, such as QuakeSmart and Open for Business^®, which are tools to create earthquake preparedness plans; and, get how-to information about affordable ways to protect people and property from earthquake risks.

Read more about the Outreach Initiative at these links:

Pre-event media coverage
February 3:  Federal News Radio 1500 AM (national)
February 7:  Local communities ready in case of disaster, Southern.com (Ill.)

Post-event coverage
February 9:  Seminar prepares for a lot of shaking, Jonesboro Sun (Ark.)
February 9:  Experts: Plan for quake, Jackson Sun (Tenn.)

Roof collapses prompt calls for inspections to prevent further damage

Roofs collapsed in a number of Massachusetts communities yesterday under the crushing weight of built-up snow and ice, with the worst destruction occurring in Easton, the Boston Globe reports.

On Wednesday, more than 100 workers managed to escape the collapse of a roof at a 150,000-square foot office building in Easton, the newspaper reports. The collapse then triggered a gas leak. The roof collapses around the state have since prompted fire officials to contact local schools and call for inspections to determine structural integrity.

The winter storm has passed, but another round of snow and ice are forecast for next week. Take this opportunity to have the roof cleared on your home or business, urges the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Check out the guidelines from IBHS to determine how much snow and ice may be too much for the roof to handle. 

Winter property damage can be avoided with the right precautions, says IBHS

A strong winter storm continues to dump heavy snow across the Midwest and New England today, including more than 17 inches of snow in Chicago, while parts of the Southeast are bracing for heavy rains. As the snow falls, concerns rise over the stress on rooftops and the potential for collapse.

Winter storm warnings are in effect from the Mid-Mississippi River Valley to the Great Lakes as snowfall totals will range from another 2 to 6 inches in the Midwest, pushing storm totals from 12 to 17 inches of snow in some areas, the National Weather Service reports. An inch of freezing rain and sleet is anticipated across the Northeast and New England, thus, an ice storm warning has been issued for New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and southeastern New York.

Blizzard conditions will also persist from the Midwest to New England as 25 to 35 mph winds are expected with gusts up to 40 and 50 mph. Many areas will see white out conditions. Extremely dangerous road and travel conditions are anticipated across most of New England and the Lower Great Lakes region. A cold front produced by this system extends southward, and will move from the Lower Mississippi River Valley to the Carolinas. This front is capable of producing some intense rainfall as it pulls in ample moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Expect rainfall totals along this front to range from 1 to 2.50 inches.

Between 1990 and 2009, winter storms caused $25 billion in insured losses, according to the Insurance Services Office (ISO). While 2011 likely will be a winter season for the record books, serious property damage can be avoided, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

The engineers at IBHS offer guidelines for preventing ice dams, avoiding roof collapse due to heavy snow and ice accumulations, and reducing the risk of frozen pipes. Visit DisasterSafety.org for this and other property protection information.

Prepare now for the latest round of winter weather

It seems fitting that in a week that includes Groundhog Day, a massive winter storm is once again bearing down on the nation. This time it's the midsection that is bracing for high winds, freezing rain and snow and ice early this week. Later in the week, the northeast will once again be under the threat of severe winter weather. For residents in both regions, their daily weather forecast has been a sort of Groundhog Day since December.

The National Weather Service said the most recent winter storm's "stripe of snow" will move eastward across the central plains and into the Ohio Valley and touch parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

As the storm builds on Monday, though, the band of heaviest snowfall is expected in parts of southwest and northeast Missouri, including central sections of the state, which will receive between six inches and a foot of snowfall and winds between 20 and 30 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Chicago and Milwaukee were expected to be particularly hard-hit. The weather service issued a blizzard watch for Tuesday and Wednesday for southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana that included those cities.

Forecasters said snowfall totals could reach up to 2 feet in some areas by the time the storm system has moved through the region.

The weather service said the heavy snowfall combined with high winds could create whiteout conditions, particularly on Tuesday night into Wednesday. Snow drifts of 5 feet to 10 feet are possible. The service said winds on Tuesday could reach up to 60 mph in open areas and near Lake Michigan.

Once the storm has moved through, bitterly cold temperatures are expected to grip much of the region.

After slamming the Plains and Midwest, the storm will move into the Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, and New England regions early Wednesday morning, Groundhog Day, with conditions improving early Thursday. The heaviest snow is expected across the interior northeast from Pennsylvania into upstate New York and New England.

Find resources to protect your property from ice and snow and to safely use heating equipment at DisasterSafety.org.