1960 valdivia earthquake eyewitness accounts

The 1960 Concepcin earthquakes were a succession of three destructive earthquakes that happened between 21 and 22 May 1960. The tsunami was a result of the largest earthquake ever measured (magnitude 9.5). According to the chronicle of Mario de Lobera, corregidor of Valdivia in 1575, a landslide blocked the outflow of the lagoon of Renigua. [52], The tsunami that struck the coast of southern Chile destroyed seaside farms, killing numerous livestock and people. [23] The schooner La Milagrosa departed from Queule on 22 May to load a cargo of Fitzroya wood shingles in a small port south of Corral. [70] While the 1575 earthquake is considered the one most similar to that of 1960, it differed in not having caused any tsunami in Japan. The chapter also discusses the extent and effects of the hazards; their . In town, he owned a pier and at least one large building and also had private quarters in a waterfront warehouse. They had been alerted by fireman Kimura Kunio. Although many people call tsunamis "tidal waves" they are not related to tides but are rather a series of waves, or "wave trains" usually caused by earthquakes. [22] Most of the tsunami-related deaths in Japan occurred in the northeast Sanriku region of Honshu. Another 32 people were dead or missing in the Philippines after the tsunami hit those islands. Before the Great Chilean earthquake, three earthquakes struck Chile which were a fore-shock to the main event and are known as the 1960 Concepcin earthquakes. The 1960 Valdivia Earthquake On 22nd May 1960 (14:11 Chile time, 19:11 GMT), the greatest earthquake ever recorded in history, with magnitude of 9.5 degrees on the Richter scale, shocked the coastal regions of southern Chile. [57] After the earthquake many families in Corral relocated to the neighbourhood of La Aguada. The wave grew in height as it moved steadily toward the city, and the noise became deafening. The stories in this book were selected from interviews with people who survived a Pacific Ocean tsunami in 1960. The death toll for the 1960 Valdivia earthquake was less considering its magnitude. Turning around, they watched the 20-foot-high, nearly vertical front of the wave hit the bridge, and water splashed high into the air. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake struck Chile on the afternoon of 22nd May 1960, causing widespread damage with Valdivia being the most affected city. The Chilean coast was severely battered by the localized tsunamis which reached a height up to 25 m (82 ft) and caused numerous fatalities. Then I noticed that people were moving rocks from in front of the bus and there was lots of debris on the road. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 was caused by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake; it killed at least 225,000 people in a dozen countries. Some areas around the margin of the Pacific Ocean are located near subduction zones similar to the one that produced the 1960 Chile earthquake and its tsunami. Further north, the port of Talcahuano did not suffer any major damage, only some flooding. It was eternal and that made it more terrible. [11], The 1960 Chilean earthquakes were a sequence of strong earthquakes that affected Chile between 21 May and 6 June 1960, centered in the Araucana, Aysn, and Bo Bo regions of the country. Various estimates of the total number of fatalities from the earthquake and tsunamis have been published, ranging between 1,000 and 6,000 killed. The house also withstood the first two waves of the tsunami that followed the quake, but the third wave swept it away. About 3,000 people were injured. By 1:00 a.m., the water beneath the bridge had dropped to 7 feet (2.1 meters) below normal. Nabih was soon carried off by the second wave after he left the warehouse trying to save his wife. There they hoped to measure the 1960 Chilean tsunami, which was expected to arrive at about midnight. Later failure of this landslide dam unleashed a flood that covered parts of the city. It damaged 370,000 homes in Chile and at least 525 people were killed. [51] When compared with the years that follower in the 1960s the autumn of 1960 in southern Chile was not particularly dry nor warm. Select from premium Valdivia Earthquake 1960 of the highest quality. The house, on low ground west of Maulln, withstood the 1960 earthquake. JetStream, Comments? Earthquakes occurring at subduction zones are known as megathrust earthquakes and nine of the ten most powerful earthquakes in the twentieth century were megathrust, including the 1960 Chile earthquake. These earthquakes formed a southward migrating foreshock sequence to the main Valdivia shock, which occurred just 15 minutes after the third event. The most recent of these earthquakes, in 1700, set off a tsunami that struck Japan with waves about as big as those of the 1960 Chilean tsunami in Japan. Telecommunications to southern Chile were cut off and President Jorge Alessandri cancelled the traditional ceremony of the Battle of Iquique memorial holiday to oversee the emergency assistance efforts. This potential disaster would have violently flooded all the settlements along the course of the river in less than five hours, with more dire consequences if the dam suddenly broke. Traditional wooden houses fared better; although many were uninhabitable if they did not collapse. Many houses were carried inland by the 1960 tsunami. Mr. Weischet took these before and after photos. A judge ruled that those involved had "acted without free will, driven by an irresistible natural force of ancestral tradition". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The Japan earthquake of 2011 had a magnitude of 9.0; it spawned a tsunami that killed an estimated 19,300 people in Japan and knocked out the electrical power to Japans Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, creating the worlds second most serious nuclear emergency. The 1960 Chilean earthquakes were a sequence of strong earthquakes that affected Chile between 21 May and 6 June 1960, centered in the Araucana, Aysn, and Bo Bo regions of the country. [55] The scholar Erik Dahmn believes that the earthquake resulted in a "creative destruction" for farmers of Southern Chile. The chapter also discusses the extent and effects of the hazards; their impacts on the businesses of the city; and the puzzle, despite the occurrence of similar risks, of the continued lack of business continuity planning and programs in the region almost half a century afterward. ABSTRACT. As many as 6,000 people were killed. Not all the tsunami victims were found quickly. However, modern Cascadia has had little experience with tsunamis and almost no experience with tsunamis generated close to home. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I had to wait for five hours to get in contact with my family, who live in the neighbouring town of Altho Hospicio. These areas include a Native American fishing camp. [73] This quake was reported to be centered approximately 35 kilometres (22mi) deep and several miles off shore. Collileufu is located in the Budi Lake area, south of Puerto Saavedra, which was highly isolated in 1960. At first, Mrs. Llanquimn was not alarmed by this news, but her husband took it as a warning that the sea, when it came back, might surge inland. The event caused extensive subsidence and uplift over wide areas (at least 130,000 km2) with. [70] He said that the Spanish settlers had evacuated and waited on high ground until after the dam burst, but many aboriginals died in the flood waters. In interviews several decades later, people in Chile, Hawaii, and Japan recall the tsunami. [42] The United States quickly set up a field hospital following the earthquake. Early in May 1960, the big news was the tension between the United States and the Soviet Union-a Soviet missile had downed an American spy plane. There was even talk of a tsunami in Iquique which concerned me as I thought there might be more danger ahead of us. The tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia and the Aleutian Islands. Later that Sunday, the magnitude 9.5 mainshock of the 1960 Chile earthquake rocked the region. (2009). After this wave had passed and they thought it was safe, Mr. Eaton and his companions returned to the bridge and continued to record the water level during several more waves of the tsunami (see diagram below). The 1960 earthquake found Mrs. Silva at home and her husband on a nearby hillside. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [19], One of the main aftershocks occurred on 6 June in Aysn Region. I went to bed feeling a little uneasy as the receptionist had warned me of aftershocks and told me to leave my light on, so I made sure I planned an exit route out of the window in case of emergencies. While Mr. Ramrez stayed safely in the cypress, the waters of the tsunami swirled about the tree. Moments later, a wall of water hit the house, floating it off its foundation. Mr. Atala was Maulln's most prosperous merchant. Ramn Ramrez, 15 years old at the time of the tsunami, survived by climbing into the branches of a cypress tree (photo at right) on a plain west of Maulln. Outside of town, he owned a barn and a plantation of Monterey pine. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. "The most powerful earthquake ever recorded struck near Valdivia, Chile on May 22, 1960, at 2:11 PM local time. Cordon Caulle, a nearby active volcano, was ripped open and forced to erupt. The Great Chilean Earthquake or Valdivian Earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. [53] Barns and industrial structures were destroyed by the quake. Their house collapsed, but Mrs. Silva escaped and soon joined her husband on high ground. Eduardo Veliz, also from Iquique, said he witnessed a scene of chaos. Ramirez, C., E. Carrasco, S. Mariani & N. Palacios. This was among the properties of Ramn Atala, who was about to be carried away by the second wave in Maulln. The Chile earthquake of 1960 was caused by the release of mechanical stress due to the subduction of the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate along the Chile-Peru Trench, which has been the cause of many other earthquakes too. On May 22, 1960, the largest earthquake in recorded historymagnitude 9.5struck southern Chile. This chapter examines retrospectively the impact on the businesses in the city of Valdivia, Chile, of the earthquake and tsunami on "El Da de Los Santos Inocentes". More specifically, the German and Danish governments helped to create the Centro Tecnolgico de la Leche (the Milk Technological Centre) in the Southern University of Chile. While the above phase correction method successfully accounts for the dispersion effect of recent tsunamis such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake recorded in deep ocean bottom pressure gauges (Ho et . In the regions of Maule and Bo Bo, houses built from adobe and masonry proved weak, while from Araucana to the south weak houses were mainly those built with inappropriate wood that had decayed over time. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The train station and numerous buildings in the town were destroyed. Waves as high as 10.7meters(35 ft)were recorded 10,000kilometersfrom the epicenter, and as far away as Japan and the Philippines. 1; 8 cm/yr; DeMets et al., 1990, Plafker and Savage, 1970 ). Their accounts contain lessons on tsunami survival: The following is from the U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 1187, Version 1.1 and is compiled by Brian F. Atwater, Marco Cisternas V.1, Joanne Bourgeois2, Walter C. Dudley3, James W. Hendley II, and Peter H.Stauffer. [33] Plans were made to evacuate Valdivia, and many people left. By 1:04 a.m., the men on the bridge realized that they should run the few hundred feet to high ground. Some arrived there by 4:45 a.m., as the first large wave entered town. The case of Chile is puzzling in that it is the most advanced economy in Latin America. She or he will best know the preferred format. About 10 days after the tsunami, Mr. Reyes happened upon bodies stuck in sand and being eaten by birds. Prepared in cooperation with Universidad Austral de Chile, the University of Tokyo, the University of Washington, the Geological Survey of Japan, and the Pacific Tsunami Museum. Gates, Alexander E.; Ritchie, David. The cost of the earthquake was estimated between 4 and 7 billion dollars. Corrections? Focus is the point where an earthquake originates while epicenter is the point on Earths surface directly above the focus. Estimates were the rupture zone stretched anywhere from 500 kilometers (311 miles) to almost 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) along the countrys coast. This is the largest earthquake of the 20th Century. Damaging waves in Onagawa, some of which carried battering rams of floating wood, reached heights of 14 feet. Despite the heavy rains of 21 May, the city was without a water supply. Some had their routes of escape severed by tsunami waves. A comprehensive national plan for emergencies that helped Chile better prepare for future disasters was enacted, in conjunction with legislation that increased the powers of the President in times of national emergency. I walked downtown because the university is really close to the sea and we were afraid a tsunami would follow. Hawai'i had been struck in the past by deadly tsunamis, including ones from Chile in 1837 and 1877 and one from the Aleutian Islands in 1946 that in Hilo alone killed 98 people. Various studies have placed it at 9.4-9.6 on the moment magnitude scale. Her husband died of his injuries, and the body of her daughter was found 3 days after the tsunami. The port of Puerto Montt collapsed. Some minutes after the earthquake, the Navarro family saw the waters of the stream recede. Together they watched the tsunami overrun their fields and carry away the remains of their house. Most thought it was only a preliminary warning to be followed later by an evacuation signal. Although a neighbor quickly took that route, the Navarro family stayed in their home, beside another tidal stream. Breadcrumbs Section. [46] Parts of the botanical garden of the Austral University of Chile that were next to Cau-Cau River and the city's southern outskirts along Route 206 were permanently flooded. After being inundated by the 1700 tsunami, this fishing camp became a tidal flat or a tidal marsh. Aftershocks were recorded for around a month after the main tremor. [43] Aided by the United States, a geological survey of Valdivia was done following the earthquake and resulted in the city's first geological map. However, when he heard shouts from the direction of Maulln, he took them as a warning of a second wave and went directly to the barn. Walls from surrounding houses started cracking, glass started to break, and cars started jumping. [39] Around the main city square most buildings collapsed except for Edificio Prales and a few others. Within the Andes, most landslides occurred on forested mountain slopes around the Liquie-Ofqui Fault. 3099067 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG 2023 Informa UK Limited, Registered in England & Wales No. Such "subduction zones" are formed where two of the tectonic plates that make up the Earth's outer shell meet. The stranded boat was wrecked when a tsunami wave engulfed it. This was because it occurred in the afternoon, many of the structures in affected areas were earthquake-resistant and thefore-shocksmade the population wary. It was initially assessed in 1960 with a magnitude (M w) of 8.6, but was recalculated as a 9.5 in 2007 (USGS, 2007). Though the oblique angle by which the waves approached the Pacific coast of the United States mitigated their force, Crescent City, California, saw waves of up to 5.6 feet (1.7 metres), and boats and docks in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Long Beach were damaged. [30] On 22 May, a seiche occurred also in Nahuel Huapi Lake, on the Argentine side of the Andes, more than 200km away from Valdivia. Throughout the night, water surged beneath them, scouring sandy ground nearby. Mr. Eaton recalls that they then heard an ominous noise, a faint rumble like a distant train, that came from the darkness far out in Hilo Bay. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The earthquake did not strike all the territory with the same strength; measured with the Mercalli scale, tectonically depressed areas suffered heavier damage. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The road connecting the two towns had been blocked by rocks, which had killed five people and telephone communication was impossible. Introduction [2] Strong tsunami generating earthquakes belong to the most hazardous geodynamic processes occurring along the world's plate margins. I thought to myself that a neighbours' cat must be at the birds. There were people running, and there was no electricity, no radio signal, no TV, no internet, nothing. The earthquake hit at 3:11 pm approximately 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of Chile, parallel to the city of Valdivia. Many aftershocks occurred, with 5 of magnitude 7.0 or greater through Nov 1. What happened to Mr. Atala's plantation happened at many places along Chile's coast. As the sea regressed Gloria became stranded between Cerro Guaigun and Cochinos Island. [69] This earthquake was of similar strength and also caused a Riihuazo. The event was named after the city most affected by the quake, Valdivia. Eyewitness accounts of the 1906 Earthquake Museum of the City of San Francisco Many eyewitness accounts and photos of the disaster. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. The quake occurred in the early afternoon (19:11 UTC) of May 22, 1960, and had a 9.5 rating [1] on the Moment magnitude scale. The community had gathered in Cerro La Mesa, while the lowlands were struck by successive tsunamis. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The 2010 quake was also megathrust and caused by the subducting Nazca plate under the South American plate. Pablo Volenski, from Iquique, which is 115km (70 miles) from the epicentre,.
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