The Loma Prieta Earthquake free essay sample

There is a lot that happens around the world we cannot control. We cannot stop earthquakes, we cannot prevent droughts, and we cannot prevent conflict. Earthquakes and the damages they bring have affected the lives of many people around the world forever. As our community grows so does the danger caused by these quakes also increases by mass. Earthquakes can affect our lives in many ways; this type of natural disaster can upset everything from small towns to huge metropolitan areas. Speaking of places, On October 17, 1989 the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area. It had killed 62 people, injured 3,756 others and left more than 12,000 people homeless. This earthquake had affected everyone in the area; here are some victims of this earthquake, Carol Bold and Michael . I secretly wanted my town to float out to sea. Maybe I have a longing desire for isolation, or religious aspirations for disaster, these were the exact words Carol Bold had said when she was at a very young age. We will write a custom essay sample on The Loma Prieta Earthquake or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Loma Prieta earthquake had struck when she was in preschool. She says she still remembers the event vividly. In paragraph two from the article Loma Preta Earthquake stories, she had mentioned â€Å"We lunged under the tables with innocent chuckles, staring as every motionless object in the room suddenly burst into dance. And just like that it was over. † This quote basically had said everything was flying, if not shaking. For some odd reason Carol Bold was way too young to understand what was going on however she new Part of the double-decker bridge collapsed upon itself, as well as a 50-foot strip of the Bay Bridge. San Francisco’s Marina District basically crumbled under its lousy urban planning of building houses on top of landfill she had finished saying. When she got home no one was hurt, Carol Bold was lucky unlike the 62 that had been killed, 3,756 injured and many others who were left without a home. Unfortunately for Michael and his family weren’t as lucky as Crol Bold. Michael was at work while his son named David who was 18 along with his wife was at home. David had called his dad saying his new car got destroyed by the chimney and the house was destroyed by the trees colliding into each other. Michal couldn’t have believed it but in his story he had mentioned that when David was in his room he was thrown on to the floor and a large dresser fell on top of him. Meanwhile his wife was in the kitchen and everything was flying at her. Michal also said his neighbor wasn’t as lucky, she had blood all over, and apparently the quake shattered an older plate glass window and cut her badly. Michal was fortunate no one in the family was hurt. He even mentioned â€Å"he felt very fortunate that he had the chance to talk to his wife and for a little and could only imagine what these others felt who had no communication with their families at home. Overall the two people I had introduced could have had the worst. Some earthquakes result in a fire that damages buildings or homes. If one doesnt have insurance, a fire as a result of an earthquake would leave them without a home or possessions. For years after the incident, people still could have no homes or anything in their name. Moreover, a sudden earthquake can destabilize slopes causing a landslide. Everyone can be buried alive, and houses are immediately surrounded. Rebuilding on an environment after an extensive landslide can be impossible. The Loma Prieta Earthquake didn’t just affect the San Francisco Bay Area; it also was a major political. Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) was able to direct donations to where they were needed such as Santa Cruz, Monterey, Alameda, and San Francisco. Many organizations and agency offered to help: Southern Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Mennonite Disaster Services, Salvation Army, CRWRC, and Second Harvest Food Bank. Despite massive efforts by both the government and the Red Cross, there were many misunderstanding flowing among the victims, which had caused them to delay request. Phew of the misunderstanding were, that the people didn’t understand were sectors of help that the Red Cross could do, and there was only a limit supply for everyone person. The National Research Council and Earthquake Engineering Research Institute are to be congratulated for conceiving and sponsoring a symposium on practical lessons from an earthquake (L. Thomas Tobi, paragraph 1). After all events such as, earthquakes we as humans can learn from what we can do next time to reduce the destruction as well as to get prepared for the worst. Basically this article starts off with; focusing on practical lessons is a beginning to what we need to do as individuals. Not just as a community but it should be a state regulation. We need to designs our homes, our offices in such ways it will do fewer damages. We must add building officials, city councils, boards of supervisors, and state legislators to expand effort. We know how to build a bridge to resist earthquakes, now we have to just design what’s a better way to do it. Like I said what should be done to prepare any city for another earthquake is we as a nation have to work with each other, to come to an agreement of what shell be done and what we can make better.