I moved to Vancouver Island a few years ago and have only recently found out that we are overdue for a massive earthquake of around a 9 magnitude. I’ve also realized that I have no clue what actually occurs during a massive earthquake. I know the ground shakes with smaller ones, but does it break open with big ones? Do people fall into holes in the ground? I guess I’m really asking what danger will I be in other than buildings collapsing if I’m in them?
Because apparently this earthquake will kill most of my city, but how would the earthquake kill any of us aside from buildings pancaking us?
In: Planetary Science
The biggest danger is of course a building collapsing on you if it’s not earthquake-proofed, but also it’s the falling debris/power lines if you’re outside of one. Additionally, the roads may crack and buckle, so if you’re driving on the road there’s a danger of literally falling inside of one of these crevasses (though it’s not as dangerous as being on a bridge).
Your best bet is to be in an open grass field away from urban infrastructure, or in a well secured shelter. I’ve seen videos of those magnitudes and they’re terrifying (look up Japanese earthquakes).
There’s good guidance here on how to handle them: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-should-i-do-during-earthquake
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