tsunamis

[cellio]

Within the first couple days of the Indonesian quake/tsunami six(ish) years ago, death tolls over 100,000 were being reported (final count was over 200,000).

Within the first couple days of the Japanese quake/tsunami, death tolls in the hundreds were being reported. (Of course, we're not done yet.)

The difference in ability to predict and effectively react between wealthy and poor nations is striking. Three orders of magnitude? Yikes. We in the better-off nations usually send aid after the fact, but it really makes me wonder what we could do before the fact to help less-developed nations build better defenses.

Comments

[gardenfey.livejournal.com]

I had read an article which mentioned that Japan's strict building code helped save many lives.

[sue-n-julia.livejournal.com]

It did - as Japan has rebuilt from WW2 and has had a population "explosion", they've had the most earthquake proof building codes in the world. Part of that was made possible by their relative wealth, but also by cultural distinctions.

Regarding the loss of life from the tsunami - Japan is benefiting from lessons learned from the Indonesian disaster.

S

[zachkessin.livejournal.com]

Yea, Japan got clobbered in 1923 (I think I have that right0 and a few times before that and said OK how to make sure we are as ready for next time as humanly possible. They were probably more ready for this than anyone in the world! Of course that took 75 years and a lot of money to pull off.

[cellio]

Good point, thanks.

[siderea]

When I was a civil engineering major, I learned many fascinating things in my construction engineering class about putting up buildings in Boston, MA, among them:

1) The contents of the BOCA code.

2) The fact that the local going rate for elevator inspection bribes was $100.

So a toast to those who passed Japan's legendary building code into law -- and two toasts to all the honorable men and women in Japan's construction industry who decided to treat them as the matter of life and death that they are!

[cellio]

and two toasts to all the honorable men and women in Japan's construction industry who decided to treat them as the matter of life and death that they are!

Indeed!