IMPACTS OF THE M8.2 EARTHQUAKE OFFSHORE CHILE April 1-2, 2014 Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, Vienna, Virginia, USA

SOUTH AMERICA AND CHILE

The 20-km-deep (12-mile- deep) quake was located approximately 100 km (60 mi) offshore from Iquique, 96 miles from Arica, and 210 km (128 mi) from Tacna.

CHILE’S CITIES (NOTE: IQUIQUE)

TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center immediately issued a tsunami warning for coastal areas of Chile, Peru, Nicaragua, and Ecuador. A tsunami watch issued for parts of the west coasts of the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica, was later withdrawn..

EXPERIENCE IS A GREAT TEACHER "The whole population is used to earthquakes, and in a very strong earthquake, everybody knows to evacuate to the hills without being told."

THE MEDIA: AN UNEXPECTED BENEFIT For days before the M8.2 event, several hundred small earthquakes occurred. Hearing the media talk about the possibility of a big earthquake and tsunami helped many Chileans to anticipate and adapt quickly to the impacts of the M8.2 event.

The seismic waves reached Chile’s coastal communities in about ½ minute; the 2-m (6 ft) tsunami generated in the hypocentral region reached them in about 45 minutes

LOCAL EARTHQUAKE IMPACTS Six deaths reported. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction noted in 2011 that the "strict building codes in Chile...continue to play a large part in protecting lives of people."

PERU In Peru, the earthquake caused temporary power outages and evacuations in some southern towns, but did not cause serious damage or injuries.

GOOD INITIAL REACTIONS Sirens and text messages warned Chilean residents of the possibility of a tsunami, triggering the exodus of more than 900,000 inland to "safe inland zones."

TSUNAMI PROPAGATION FORECAST (Source: NOAA)

PREDICTED TRAVEL TIMES (Source: NOAA)

AS EXPECTED, THE TSUNAMI WAVES DID TO CAUSE ANY MAJOR IMPACTS AS THEY TRAVERSED THE PACIFIC

LOCAL EFFECTS OF TSUNAMI

LOCAL TSUNAMI IMPACTS More than 2,600 homes were damaged and fishing boats along the northern coast were smashed up. However, most infrastructure held up and mines in the world's No. 1 copper producer were functioning normally.

INITIAL IMPACTS At least three fires broke out in the port city of Iquique

FIRES IN IQUIQUE

THE LOCAL OFFICIALS WERE PREPARED Police, military, and firemen came onto the streets immediately. This decisive action served to calm the people.

SOLDIER ON THE STREET

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

PRELIMINARY LOSS ESTIMATES “Economic losses are expected to be much lower than the $30 billion from the 2010 quake, which affected the more densely populated central region” "The small tsunami triggered by the quake is not expected to have caused significant damage.“(Source: Munich Re).