March 20, 2011 - 4:27pm
Science Savvy: The importance of preparedness
BY NICK CLIFT
Earthquake prediction might seem too good to be true, but roughly 80 seconds before the catastrophic magnitude 8.9 quake rocked Japan last week, the residents of Tokyo knew it was coming. In just ten seconds, a network of thousands of seismographs across the island nation detected the first signs of a major earthquake, pinpointed its epicenter, determined the threat was serious, and issued warnings appropriately. High-speed trains and gas lines were shut down. Those 80 precious, life-saving seconds gave millions of Japanese the time they needed to find shelter.
The human tragedy unfolding in Japan, as horrible as it is and threatens to become, could have been a lot worse. That’s because at the same time Mother Nature was giving the Japanese people her worst, Japan was responding with the most sophisticated earthquake-resistant technology in the world. As a MIT geophysicist told Technology Review, Japan is “The best prepared country in the world.”
America seems to have a less impressive history of coping with natural disasters. Despite the fact that hurricanes are a good deal easier to see coming than earthquakes – anyone can glance at a weather map – Katrina still seemed to take the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by surprise when it devastated parts of Louisiana in 2005.
Despite lingering problems, including some involving nuclear reactors, Japan’s handling of this disaster is impressive. Even earthquake-prone regions of the United States are equipped with no early warning systems like those in Japan. Once Americans have done all they can to help the Japanese recover from this disaster, they should take the time to study the Japanese response. A similar catastrophe could just as easily strike in this country. If we don’t ensure our nation’s preparedness, the results of a Japan-style disaster in this country would make Katrina look like a cloudy day.
