U1: Chile earthquake

• Where is the location of the tectonic hazard in Chile?

  SW South America
• It happened on 27th February 2010
• Primary effects:

  • 500 killed (quite high for HIC)
  • 12,000 injured
  • 22,000 homes destroyed
  • 4,500 schools destroyed
  • $30 billion damages
  • Water, communications and electricity lost in many places.
• Secondary effects:

  • Landslides
  • Debris blocked roads for weeks
  • A tsunami was triggered devastating coastal towns
  • Fires in buildings (including a Chemical plant near Santiago)
• Immediate responses:

  • 5,000 temporary shelters immediately (after fundraising there was 35,000)
  • Route 5 North-South highway repaired within 24 hours (allowing remote areas connection to Santiago)
  • $60 million raised in relief funds after a national appeal
• Long term responses:

  • $2.5 billion in housing subsidies for 196,000 households affected
  • Houses deemed unsafe to stand were demolished
  • President of Chile announced that reconstruction fully could take 4 years.
  • Stricter building regulations
• Chile is a HIC