Only four days after the
devastating New Madrid Fault earthquake destroyed many parts of Memphis and caused damage here in Pittsburgh—Pennsylvania was
hit by a direct M7.4 earthquake in the South-Central region. Offici=
als
have stated that the epicenter of the earthquake was in the town of=
Emigsville, PA a=
nd minor
to severe damage has been sustained from places as far away as Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphi=
a,
Newark, NJ<=
/st1:State>,
and even here in Pitts=
burgh.
First response units are
thinly-manned throughout the primary region of damage, including Harrisburg and York
and Lancaster Counties, because so many people are
currently still here in the Pittsburgh
area supporting recovery operations. The greatest damage appears to=
be
overpasses collapsing since they were not built for seismic events =
here
in Pennsylvania.
Roads have been cut off so that whole sections are walled off and
self-contained. Getting people to hospitals is currently a problem =
due
to limited road access.
Stone and concrete houses have
sustained the greatest amounts of damage. Local Geologist Teddy Bat=
es
outlined some of the likely problems currently facing the South-Cen=
tral
region. “Besides the overpasses, the multistory buildings clo=
sest
to the resonance frequency of the quake have likely suffered the mo=
st
damage,” he explained.
“There are reports, as =
we
would expect, of sand geysers and release of gases and water table
changes, influencing water availability even for those on wells. CO=
2 as
well as methane have undoubtedly escaped. Most damage within the cit=
ies
has likely been done by collapsing cinderblock walls.”
When asked what residents sho=
uld
expect in the coming weeks, Bates added, “Although casualties
will be relatively low compared to what could have been because of =
the
time of the quake, civil unrest is likely to be a factor since
easterners are unused to quakes and may find it a disturbing event =
psychologically.”
“As we’ve seen he=
re
outside of Pittsburgh<=
/st1:City>,
threats of aftershocks will drive people to tents in back yards and
parks.”
Images and maps related to th=
is
earthquake can be accessed at the WV-II Quake archive located by
clicking HERE.