Economical Impacts of Earthquakes on Society - Essay Example

We heard about the start of the earthquake near the city we lived in. I heard some people talking about lots of casualties that took place due to the earthquake, but I couldn’t imagine what the losses were in essence. After a few hours, the earthquake reached the city that I went to. It was very strong and devastating as it measured 4.1 on the Richter scale.

Blood was everywhere; within houses, towers, and malls – all of them were destroyed. Children were walking and shouting for their parents, dust was covering the place, and people were shouting and screaming as the view was terrifying. I didn’t know what I should have done as I was very shocked.

An earthquake is a vibration of the Earth produced by a rapid release of energy (Tarbuck 1996). The main features include the focus, the location within the Earth where the earthquake rupture starts, and the epicenter, the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus. Earthquakes have a greater effect on society than most people think. These effects range from economic to structural to mental. Earthquakes come without warning, and often cause massive devastation, resulting not only in the loss of property but also of lives. Many of the survivors suffer from intense and lasting psychological trauma. This essay covers the experience of recent earthquakes in China, Indonesia, and India. It discusses what has been learned (and what we have failed to learn) in the process of managing the aftermath in each case. This includes immediate medical attention, long-term mental health care, and the reconstruction of housing and infrastructure in both rural and urban areas.

The effects of earthquakes on society reach farther than the destruction that these cause and the fear that they place on the population (Patel, 2009). As a result of the fear that they cause, society has come up with several ways to protect against the damage that is possible during earthquakes. Warning systems, research, and advances in engineering have done an amazing job of giving people the resources necessary to survive an earthquake. Warning systems and research are often found in the areas that are most prone to these sorts of disasters. This essay discusses how society has found ways to maintain the safety of people during earthquakes and how this affects other parts of society.
Generally, people do not take precautionary measures unless they have been greatly affected in the past by an earthquake. Because many people are in denial about the importance of precautions in the case of earthquakes, damage is done that could have been prevented. This is not the most effective way of protection against earthquake damage. This lackadaisical attitude toward the effects of earthquakes can be seen in a summary of the Earthquakes Hazard Survey conducted in San Mateo California (Berlin, 1980). This essay tries to increase awareness of people who lived in regions of high seismic activity. Read More