Earthquakes

Hazard Vulnerability Assessment

Earthquakes:

General Information index. Also see current earthquake mitigation measures.

Earthquakes are relatively infrequent but not uncommon in North Carolina. Earthquakes are also unpredictable. From 1568 to 2001, 159 earthquakes have occurred in North Carolina. Fictitious County has experienced at least one earthquake and has been in proximity to others. While no significant damages have ever been recorded in Fictitious County, the proximity to earthquake faults makes Fictitious County, as well as all the municipalities vulnerable to such damages. The charts and images below depict recent history. The entire county, including the municipalities are vulnerable, as is the entire population.

* Population

Population	Per Capita Income	Total damages in previous 10 year period
		None

Note: An Earthquake's severity is expressed in both magnitude and intensity. The two terms are sometimes confused for one another. Magnitude is related to the amount of seismic energy released at the hypocenter of an earthquake. It is measured using the Richter Magnitude Scale.

Intensity is based on the observed effects on the earth's surface such as ground shaking or a building moving. These effects vary according to your location relative to the epicenter. Intensity is measured using the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

The following is an abbreviated description of the 12 levels of Modified Mercalli intensity.

I.	Not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions.
II.	Felt only by a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of buildings. Delicately suspended objects may swing.
III.	Felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Vibration similar to the passing of a truck. Duration estimated.
IV.	Felt indoors by many, outdoors by few during the day. At night, some awakened. Dishes, windows, doors disturbed; walls make cracking sound. Sensation like heavy truck striking building. Standing motor cars rocked noticeably.
V.	Felt by nearly everyone; many awakened. some dishes, windows broken. Unstable objects overturned.
VI.	Felt by all, many frightened. Some heavy furniture moved; a few instances of fallen plaster. Damage slight.
VII.	Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures; some chimneys broken.
VIII.	Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse. Damage great in poorly built structures. Fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned.
IX.	Damage considerable in specially designed structures; well-designed frame structures thrown out of plumb. Damage great in substantial buildings, with partial collapse. Buildings shifted off foundations.
X.	Some well-built wooden structures destroyed; most masonry and frame structures destroyed with foundations. Rails bent.
XI.	Few, if any (masonry) structures remain standing. Bridges destroyed. Rails bent greatly.
XII.	Damage total. Lines of sight and level are distorted. Objects thrown into the air.

Recent Earthquake history in North Carolina:

March 5, 1958 Wilmington, NC	Intensity: V (five) Magnitude: 0 Damage: Shocks transpired along the coast rolling people out of bed and shaking houses.
1987 North Carolina/Tennessee border	Magnitude 4.2 Largest to occur in the Southeast that year.
June 14, 1997 Henderson County, NC	Magnitude 2.5, Small earthquake Damage: None reported
June 5, 1998 Bogus City, NC	Magnitude 3.2, Small earthquake Damage: None reported

A map showing geological and seismic information for North Carolina.
(Image courtesy: North Carolina Geological Survey)

** Potential Economic Impact in Fictitious County (including Bogus City, Fictitiouston and ) from a greater than 6.0 (Richter scale) earthquake

Structural Damage	$56,330,000
Non - structural (i.e. power distribution systems, etc.)	$179,470,000
Contents	$74,670,000
Lost inventory	$3,930,000
Relocation losses (cost of relocating population)	$57,640,000
Capital losses	$26,200,000
Wages lost	$31,440,000
Retail income losses	$22,270,000
Total Potential Losses	$451,192,000

*Source - NC Department of Commerce Economic Development Information System
** HAZUS Information Data base - FEMA - Dunn and Bradstreet 1994. Adjusted to 2002 by 31%. Worst case scenario.