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Case Studies: The L'Aquila Earthquake

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Earthquakes in High Income Countries - L'Aquila, Italy

On the 6th of April 2009, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 in a town called L'Aquila in the Abruzzi region in Italy.

Primary effects - deaths and damage

Primary effects - deaths and damage

  • 308 people died and about 1,600 people were injured.
  • More than 65,000 became homeless.
  • The water supply into the Paganica (a town) was damaged, cutting them off from vital water supplies.
Secondary effects - aftershocks and infrastructure

Secondary effects - aftershocks and infrastructure

  • There were aftershocks that caused further damage after the initial earthquake.
  • All telecommunications (phone) and electricity infrastructure was up and running in less than 24 hours.
Immediate responses - shelter and support

Immediate responses - shelter and support

  • Homeless people were given shelter, food, drinks, and medical attention. They also got free mobiles to communicate with their families.
  • The army, medical personnel, and the fire department all helped clear the wreckage.
  • The immediate response was helped by the fact that L'Aquila is closer than 100km to Rome and Italy is a relatively rich country.
Long-term responses - rebuilding

Long-term responses - rebuilding

  • The city centre was rebuilt to try to rehouse the 65,000 people who had become homeless.
  • The inability of modern buildings to cope with earthquakes was investigated.
  • 7 people were tried for manslaughter for not giving strong enough warnings about the earthquake.
Jump to other topics
1

The Challenge of Natural Hazards

1.1

Natural Hazards

1.2

Tectonic Hazards

1.3

Weather Hazards

1.4

Climate Change

2

The Living World

2.1

Ecosystems

2.2

Tropical Rainforests

2.3

Hot Deserts

2.4

Tundra & Polar Environments

3

Physical Landscapes in the UK

3.1

The UK Physical Landscape

3.2

Coastal Landscapes in the UK

3.3

River Landscapes in the UK

3.4

Glacial Landscapes in the UK

4

Urban Issues & Challenges

5

The Changing Economic World

5.1

The Changing Economic World

5.2

Economic Development in the UK

6

The Challenge of Resource Management

6.1

Resource Management

6.2

Food

6.3

Water

6.4

Energy

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