Earthqakes are dynamic laboratories for learning and catalysts for building capacity for disaster-intelligent & disaster-resilient communites.

2. LESSONS FROM PAST
NOTABLE EARTHQUAKES

3. PAST NOTABLE
EARTHQUAKES
KOBE, JAPAN
JANUARY 17, 1995

4. EARTHQAKES ARE DYNAMIC
LABORATORIES FOR
LEARNING AND CATALYSTS
FOR BUILDING CAPACITY
FOR DISASTER-INTELLIGENT
& DISASTER-RESILIENT
COMMUNITES

6. KOBE
 Kobe, a city of 1.5 million, was
devastated as buildings and
infrastructure of all types and
ages, constructed in
accordance with various
codes/standards, FAILED.

7. OCCURRENCE

8. Mw 6.9
Depth: 24 km (15 miles)
5:46 am
Epicentral intensity (MMI) of
IX to XI (approximately 0.5g)

9. SUMMARY OF IMPACTS
 Ground shaking, ground failure,
and fires together destroyed
over 150,000 buildings and
infrastructure, leaving an
estimated 300,000 homeless.
 The direct economic loss--- at
least $200 billion; indirect ??.

10. SUMMARY OF IMPACTS
 The earthquake resulted in
more than 6,000 deaths and
over 30,000 injuries.
 600 Fires following the earth-
quake incinerated the
equivalent of 70 U.S. city
blocks.

11.  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).

14. IMPACTS
BUILDINGS

15. LESSONS LEARNED FOR
DISASTER RESILIENCE
 ALL NOTABLE
EARTHQUAKES
 PREPAREDNESS
PLANNING FOR
THE INEVITABLE
STRONG GROUND
MOTION IS
ESSENTIAL FOR
COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE.

17. LESSONS LEARNED FOR
DISASTER RESILIENCE
 ALL NOTABLE
EARTHQUAKES
 PREPAREDNESS
PLANNING FOR
THE INEVITABLE
GROUND FAILURE
IS ESSENTIAL
FOR COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE.

18. LESSONS LEARNED FOR
DISASTER RESILIENCE
 ALL NOTABLE
EARTHQUAKES
 PROTECTION OF
BUILDINGS AND
INFRASTRUCTURE
IS ESSENTIAL
FOR COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE.

19. IMPACTS ON INFRA-
STRUCTURE
 The Hanshin Expressway, an elevated
highway system, collapsed, and other
lifeline systems failed as a result of
the strong ground shaking.

20. HANSHIN EXPRESSWAY
 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 left hanging over the edge.

28. IMPACTS
 Loss of function, utility outages, and
fires were widespread due to wide
spread ground failures (liquefaction
and lateral spreads).

34. IMPACTS
 Loss of function in the Port of
Kobe caused Kobe to lose its
position as the world’s 2 nd
largest container shipper.

40. LESSONS LEARNED FOR
DISASTER RESILIENCE
 ALL NOTABLE
EARTHQUAKES
 CAPACITY FOR
EMERGENCY
RESPONSE IS
ESSENTIAL FOR
COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE.

41. DIMENSIONS OF THE RECOVERY AND
RECONSTRUCTION PROCESSES
 After a slow initial start during the first
12 hours after the earthquake
happened, emergency response by the
central and prefecture governments
was rapid and efficient

42. DIMENSIONS OF THE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
 600 active fires, without adequate
water to fight them, slowed Kobe’s
emergency response.

43. FIRE IN KOBE

44. DIMENSIONS OF THE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
 Damaged gas lines, water lines, and
highway systems (e.g., Hanshin
Expressway) slowed search and
rescue efforts and limited
emergency assistance.

45. DIMENSIONS OF THE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
 Hundreds of people trapped under
the rubble of collapsed houses and
buildings were rescued.

49. LESSONS LEARNED FOR
DISASTER RESILIENCE
 ALL NOTABLE
EARTHQUAKES
 CAPACITY FOR
RECOVERY AND
RECONSTRUCTION
IS ESSENTIAL FOR
COMMUNITY
RESILIENCE.

50. DIMENSIONS OF THE RECOVERY AND
RECONSTRUCTION PROCESSES
 Recovery was fast for such a major
disaster.
 Major reconstruction was accom-
plished in just one year .

51. DIMENSIONS OF THE RECOVERY AND
RECONSTRUCTION PROCESSES
 Kobe Port was unable to recover its
former position in the world.
 Building codes and lifeline standards
were improved significantly during the
reconstruction phase.
 Exceeding expectations, major
reconstruction was accomplished in
one year.

52. MANY SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS
PREPARED INDIVIDUALLY AND
JOINTLY BY USA AND JAPANESE
AGENCIES, EERI, AND
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS