What I felt from the earthquake @NYC
I moved from Tokyo to New York City recently. When the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake happened on 3/11, I was still in Tokyo. Today’s earthquake shook NYC reminds me of that day, although I did not feel it at all.
It is reported that most of people in NY felt scared today. I guess it was like what I felt the first earthquake in Japan in my life, as I had never encountered it in China before. Here I just say something I felt today, especially comparing to the 3/11 earthquake in Japan.
The thing I was most confused is there was not an exact level to show how big NYC was hit by the 5.9 magnitude earthquake in Virginia, like the scale in Tokyo was 5 when the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake happened. I heard that the scale level showing the impact by the earthquake is only created and used by Japan, which I found was quite helpful. First, you will know better what you have to do at next moment based on the scale level. Secondly, the officials of each building(or the transportation, etc.) can judge the safety of the building and announce or guide people take the right action.
It is said that most of the buildings in NYC do not have the earthquake-proof structure. So does it mean the buildings are dangerous even for the scale 1? Sometimes it would be more dangerous when people try to rush down or out.
Regarding the ways to tell people the scale level of their locations, besides local announcement,TV, radios and internet, Japanese can get a very quick earthquake alert via cell phone. It is sent automatically the moment the earthquake happened anywhere, which means the alert possibly arrives several seconds earlier before the earthquake hit your place and you could even prepare for the earthquake mentally or physically.
I was in a reading room of a public library in Tokyo on 3/11. When the earthquake shook Tokyo strongly again and again, people around me appeared very calm and just kept sitting. The announcement of the building came soon that told us the building was safe for the scale level and asked us to stay inside.
You will ask why Japanese can be so calm facing the huge earthquake. The answer might be quite simple: Japan islands were born with earthquake. In order to survive on the islands, Japanese attain the emergency drill from childhood. The whole society such as schools,the family,companies, NPOs,media, the government,etc. always makes great efforts to bring people’s attention to the earthquake and train them. Japanese people are used to living with it. They do not consider light earthquake as an emergency as some New Yorkers called 911 today.
Experts say the earthquake would hit New York only once a century. The probability is too low that New Yorkers never think there would actually be an earthquake, and it is hard to let the government use the limited budget to add the earthquake-proof for every building.
Anyway, quick and clear information and good training are essential to deal with the emergency like earthquake well for general people.The fact is, anywhere on the planet could have an earthquake or other natural disaster because of the way the planet is formed.
