Earthquake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Earthquake - Essay Example 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, 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 Earths surface directly above the focus. Earthquakes have a greater effect on society than most people think. These effects range from economical 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 learnt (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 a number of 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