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On This Day in 1995: Great Hanshin Earthquake
January 16, 2023 at 04:07 PM EST
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Matt Mehallow
Many parts of Japan have experienced devastating earthquakes since the Japanese archipelago is situated where several continental and oceanic plates meet. One of the worst earthquakes in Japanese history was the Great Hanshin earthquake on January 17, 1995.
The Great Hanshin earthquake occurred at 5:46 a.m. local time on the morning of January 17, 1995. It was a 7.3-magnitude tremor, the first recorded at the maximum 7 on the Japanese intensity scale. The epicenter was located off the northeast tip of Awaji Island in Osaka Bay. The earthquake ruptured north of the island of Awaji, which is just south of Kobe. It spread southwest along the Nojima Fault on Awaji and toward the northeast along the Suma and Suwayama faults, which run through the center of Kobe. This meant the earthquake was a result of an east-west strike-slip fault where the Eurasian and Philippine plates interact.
The earthquake lasted for 20 seconds and during this time, the south side of the Nojima Fault moved 1.5 meters to the right and 1.2 meters downwards. There were four foreshocks, beginning with the largest being 3.7 at 18:28 UTC on January 14th.
The Hyōgo Prefecture, which includes the city of Kobe, was hit hard and suffered severe damage. The earthquake resulted in more than 6,000 deaths and over 30,000 injuries. Fires following the earthquake incinerated the equivalent of 70 U.S. city blocks. The earthquake and fires together destroyed over 150,000 buildings and left about 300,000 people homeless. The earthquake caused $100 billion in property losses, making it the most expensive earthquake until the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.
The earthquake demonstrated the potential for great loss of life when buildings are not adequately built and earthquake resistant. Damage assessments revealed that both nonengineered homes and engineered buildings were devastated throughout the Kobe area. Approximately 60-percent of the total property loss was due to this destruction and nearly 90-percent of the fatalities were caused by collapse of houses as many residents were sleeping at the time of the earthquake. Most of the destroyed homes were older wooden residences of traditional Japanese design that were built between the late 1940s and the 1970s. Residential construction in Kobe was not regulated by a building code.
Kobe lost about 100,000 population after the disaster, as many had to leave the city due to the closure of factories and workplaces. However, the population gradually recovered and returned to the same level before the earthquake after five years. In 1998, the government passed legislation to assist people who lost their homes in the disaster. It also tightened building regulations to make structures more resistant to earthquakes.
Sources: Wikipedia, geosociety.org, nippon.com
Story Image: Damage from the Great Hanshin Earthquake on January 17, 1995 (Wikimedia Commons)
The Great Hanshin earthquake occurred at 5:46 a.m. local time on the morning of January 17, 1995. It was a 7.3-magnitude tremor, the first recorded at the maximum 7 on the Japanese intensity scale. The epicenter was located off the northeast tip of Awaji Island in Osaka Bay. The earthquake ruptured north of the island of Awaji, which is just south of Kobe. It spread southwest along the Nojima Fault on Awaji and toward the northeast along the Suma and Suwayama faults, which run through the center of Kobe. This meant the earthquake was a result of an east-west strike-slip fault where the Eurasian and Philippine plates interact.
The earthquake lasted for 20 seconds and during this time, the south side of the Nojima Fault moved 1.5 meters to the right and 1.2 meters downwards. There were four foreshocks, beginning with the largest being 3.7 at 18:28 UTC on January 14th.
The Hyōgo Prefecture, which includes the city of Kobe, was hit hard and suffered severe damage. The earthquake resulted in more than 6,000 deaths and over 30,000 injuries. Fires following the earthquake incinerated the equivalent of 70 U.S. city blocks. The earthquake and fires together destroyed over 150,000 buildings and left about 300,000 people homeless. The earthquake caused $100 billion in property losses, making it the most expensive earthquake until the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.
The earthquake demonstrated the potential for great loss of life when buildings are not adequately built and earthquake resistant. Damage assessments revealed that both nonengineered homes and engineered buildings were devastated throughout the Kobe area. Approximately 60-percent of the total property loss was due to this destruction and nearly 90-percent of the fatalities were caused by collapse of houses as many residents were sleeping at the time of the earthquake. Most of the destroyed homes were older wooden residences of traditional Japanese design that were built between the late 1940s and the 1970s. Residential construction in Kobe was not regulated by a building code.
Kobe lost about 100,000 population after the disaster, as many had to leave the city due to the closure of factories and workplaces. However, the population gradually recovered and returned to the same level before the earthquake after five years. In 1998, the government passed legislation to assist people who lost their homes in the disaster. It also tightened building regulations to make structures more resistant to earthquakes.
Sources: Wikipedia, geosociety.org, nippon.com
Story Image: Damage from the Great Hanshin Earthquake on January 17, 1995 (Wikimedia Commons)