Days 1 and 2: The ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario

摘要

Below are some key passages from the ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario circular that describe conditions for which responders must be prepared: Thursday, November 13, 10:00 a.m. The quake begins. The San Andreas Fault suddenly awakens at Bombay Beach, northeast of the Salton Sea, and the rupture shoots northwest along the fault at two miles per second, sending seismic energy waves out in all directions. In an instant, the ground on the two sides of the fault is offset nearly 44 feet, changing the political and geographic boundary between Imperial and Riverside counties. Thursday, 10:00:30 a.m. The earthquake's rupture front travels up the fault, sending out seismic waves that shake the ground, shifting emergency generators, overturning computers, cracking airport runways, and igniting fires. By now, the thick sediments of the Coachella Valley are resonating; the earthquake waves bounce between the rock walls of the valley's edges. Strong shaking will continue here for nearly a minute. Many older buildings suffer structural damage. Many older concrete buildings quickly collapse, trapping occupants. The rupture front continues its advance to San Gorgonio Pass and dismantles the 10 miles of interstate 10 freeway that straddle the San Andreas Fault. The eastern part of Riverside County is now cut off from the western part.