The Great Lisbon Earthquake caused considerable property damage, as shown in this painting.
Earthquakes are one of the most devastating natural disasters. Although the fault lines that are most at risk are known, there is no way to predict when and where the next one will occur. What is predictable is the incredible amount of damage that an earthquake will cause, chiefly in the form of fires, tsunamis and mudslides.
One example was the 1989 earthquake in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, over $6 billion in property damage resulted, including three highway collapses. Does this Spark an idea?
Fire
Because gas and power lines often run underground, earthquakes have a tendency to break them quickly. If gas-powered furnaces or appliances get knocked over and sever their connection to fuel lines, there is a high risk of fire.
Tsunamis
Earthquakes that happen near or under the sea can cause tsunamis, which are waves that can grow as wide as 60 miles, and can rise high enough -- when nearing land -- to wreak havoc on the buildings and people on shore. The destruction of property is generally total, with most structures completely demolished along with cars and smaller items. People are often dragged out to sea with the undertow.
Mudslides
In areas where fault lines and mountain ranges converge, earthquakes can cause entire hillsides to slide down to the valleys below, taking commercial buildings, homes, roads, cars and people with them. Sometimes, this takes the form of boulders crashing down onto switchback roads, but if the landslide runs deeper, the foundations of homes can roll away too.
Liquefaction
According to Iowa State University's Department of Geosciences, liquefaction refers to the behavior of sandy soil that is filled with water during an earthquake. The force of the ground moving can make the sand act like a paste, or even a liquid, which makes a building susceptible to total collapse. The motion of an earthquake is stressful enough on buildings when the ground remains solid. Liquified dirt removes all stability.
Tags: fault lines, property damage
