kobe, japan surging towards disaster resilience after the jan. 17, 1995 earthquake

KOBE, JAPAN

SURGING TOWARDS DISASTER RESILIENCE AFTER THE

JAN. 17, 1995 EARTHQUAKE

Dr. Walter Hays Global Alliance For Disaster Reduction

BASED ON REPORTS PREPARED INDIVIDUALLY AND JOINTLY BY USA AND JAPANESE AGENCIES,

EERI, MANY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND PARTICIPATION

IN THE US-JAPAN HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE ON POLICY CREATED

BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN AND PRESIDENT CINTON

THE KOBE, JAPAN EARTHQUAKE WAS ONE OF

THE WORLD’S NOTABLE DISASTERS

CONSEQUENCES: DEATHS, INJURIES, LOSS OF HABITAT, LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD, LOSS OF INFRA-STRUCTURE, LOSS OF POSITION, AND CATASTROPHIC ECONOMIC LOSSES

KOBE--ONE OF MANY PAST NOTABLE QUAKES ALONG THE PACIFIC RIM

Mw 6.9

Depth: 24 km (15 miles)

5:46 am

JANUARY 17, 1995

LIKE OTHER NOTABLE EARTHQUAKES, “KOBE” ADDED UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE ON

“THE OCCURRENCES AND CONSEQUENCES OF DISASTERS”

TO THE GLOBAL BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE

BOOK OF

BOOK OF

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

- Perspectives

- Perspectives

On Science, Policy,

On Science, Policy,

And Change

And Change

THE EXPERIENCES FROM THE KOBE EARTHQUAKE WERE ESPECIALLY

VALUABLE BECAUSE THEY WERE A CATALYST

FOR KOBE TO MOVE TOWARDS EARTHQUAKE DISASTER

RESILIENCE (And Kobe did!!)

SUMMARY OF KOBE’S EXPERIENCES

• Ground shaking and fires together destroyed over 150,000 buildings and left about 300,000 people homeless.

• The economic loss as a result of this earthquake is estimated to have reached $200 billion.

SUMMARY OF KOBE’S EXPERIENCES

• The earthquake resulted in more than 6,000 deaths and over 30,000 injuries.

• 600 Fires following the earth-quake and incinerated the equivalent of 70 U.S. city blocks.

SUMMARY OF KOBE’S EXPERIENCES

• The earthquake caused Kobe to lose its position as the world’s number 2 container port.

OCCURRENCE

• The Kobe earthquake was NOT the typical subduction zone earthquake of the region.

• It was generated by slip on the Median Tectonic Line (a strike-slip fault).

SOCIETAL IMPACTS

BUILDINGS

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

• Kobe, a city of 1.5 million, was devastated.

• Buildings of all types, ages, and building code editions collapsed.

• Entire blocks of apartments failed.

SOCIETAL IMPACTS

INFRASTRUCTURE: HANSHIN EXPRESSWAY, BRIDGES,

PORT, ETC

INFRASTRUCTURE

• The Hanshin Expressway, an elevated highway system, collapsed, and other systems failed as a result of the strong ground shaking.

• Utility outages were widespread due to liquefaction and lateral spreads.

HANSHIN EXPRESSWAY

• At least two people died when the elevated section of the Hanshin motorway connecting Osaka to Kobe collapsed in three places.

• 50 cars went off the edge and a bus was just able to stop, but with its front wheels hanging over the edge.

KOBE PORT

• The port of Kobe lost its position as the world’s 2nd largest container shipper.

TOWARDS EARTHQUAKE DISASTER RESILIENCE

• After a slow initial start after the quake happened, emergency response of the central government was efficient.

• Kobe Port is working to recover its former position.

• Building codes and lifeline standards were improved during reconstruction.

• Major reconstruction was amazingly accomplished in one year.

TOWARDS DISASTER RESILIENCE

• Search and rescue efforts and emergency assistance overcame damaged gas and water lines, failed highway systems, and fires.

• Hundreds of people trapped under the rubble of collapsed houses and buildings were rescued.