Imagine if an earthquake had just struck and your life was turned upside down. Everything around you was in deep turmoil - people screaming frantically, debris and dust encompassing what was your home, your valuables lost in the bricks that was piled on top of each other. Everything you knew, owned and saw was affected, both physically and emotionally. You look around and see that the world you lived in changed, the neighborhood you knew now tumbled, the park that you were once familiar with now a ghostly patch of grass with empty swings. What would happen next and how would you be able to cope with the troubles that succeed the monstrosity of earthquakes?
This is where the secondary hazards in. The secondary hazards of an earthquake are the short-term effects of the earthquake, things such as fires caused by gas pipes and electrocution caused by downed power lines. Secondary hazards occur directly after the earthquake occurs, and sometimes result in devastating effects that claim lives and threaten others. There are many troublesome secondary hazards that has ravaged heavily populated cities and towns, affecting human beings and the economy. The picture on the right shows Kobe after the 1995 earthquake, showing the fire that ravaged the city. There are many secondary hazards that follow earthquakes and these are:
This is where the secondary hazards in. The secondary hazards of an earthquake are the short-term effects of the earthquake, things such as fires caused by gas pipes and electrocution caused by downed power lines. Secondary hazards occur directly after the earthquake occurs, and sometimes result in devastating effects that claim lives and threaten others. There are many troublesome secondary hazards that has ravaged heavily populated cities and towns, affecting human beings and the economy. The picture on the right shows Kobe after the 1995 earthquake, showing the fire that ravaged the city. There are many secondary hazards that follow earthquakes and these are:
- Gas Leaks and Fire: Earthquakes force the surface above the focus to tremor. This causes everything that above ground to shake. One of the most dangerous things that can be let loose through the tremors of earthquakes are gas pipes. Gas is an invaluable resource that encompasses our planet and we need it in order to survive. However, it also exhibits very dangerous qualities. Gas pipes, through earthquake tremors, have the capability of cracking and faulting. Gas flow is interrupted as gas escapes through these cracks and into the atmosphere, where innocent civilians become intoxicated by it. Furthermore, when gas becomes uncontrollable, it ignites and forms fires. Its short-term effects mean that fires are started and spread throughout towns, destroying everything in its path and killing many lives.
- Tsunamis: After an earthquake occurs, many think that its over and the worst has subsided. However, in some cases, such as the 2011 Sendai earthquake, this wasn't the case. If the earthquake hadn't been bad enough for the millions of innocent people, the tsunami that succeeded summed up their nightmares. Tsunamis are caused by large earthquakes on the seafloor when slabs of rock move past each other suddenly, causing the water to move. This water reaches very tall heights and travels at phenomenal speeds. As it reaches land, it crashes onto land, making its impact imminent. Tsunamis cause waves of water to come gushing into buildings, with its strong force knocking over bricks and tiles, destroying everything in its path. Some poorly built homes are vulnerable to tsunamis, which savage the houses, knocking them down and destroying everything inside.
- Falling power lines and electrocution: Depending on the strength of earthquakes, sometimes, many safety hazards may be exhibited. For example, strong earthquakes have the force of knocking down power lines. This is something that is extremely dangerous because, stored within these power lines are over thousands of megawatts that when approached, will undoubtedly electrocute you. When these lines fall, it should be well away from people, as serious damage such as death is very common. Even approaching the lines will cause you to get electrocuted, so making contact with it will definitely kill you.
- Landslides: Landslides are another secondary hazard that come with earthquakes. Landslides occur when earthquakes happen on areas with steep slopes. Many times, the soil slips and slides down these slopes, causing the land to slide down the slope, hence giving the name 'landslide'. Landslides can be catastrophic. Colossal houses can fall victims to the natural disaster, anything can slide along the soil. Whilst they slide, they can crack, rupture, or even worse, break. The end result is not very positive. This is why in countries that are prone to earthquakes, people are advised not to build on slopes or over cliffs. On the bottom right of this page is a picture of a landslide.
- Loss of water: Water is the most abundant and important resource on the planet. Without it, mankind would cease to exist. Water is stored, like gas, in pipes, and is delivered to families and people in their homes who need it through a system. However, when earthquakes occur, these water pipes become ruptured and faulted, therefore, spilling tonnes of water into the ground, water that could be used by millions of people to their advantage. Water spilled, cannot be drunk again, making it wasted. Even the water that is recovered from the pipes usually become contaminated and unable to be drunk.
Many of these impacts can be covered in the 'Impact on Communities' section. The important thing about secondary hazards is that earthquakes are not the only thing that can damage a community, many things can happen after the earthquake that are affected by it, the side-effects. Secondary hazards cover every aspect of life, branching out from earthquakes. The natural environment is affected by, the economy is fractured by it and the society cops its effects as well.