A magnitude 7.4 earthquake, the largest recorded in Taiwan since 1999, occurred at 7:58 a.m. local time on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, just off Hualien County, and close to the County’s main city of Hualien (population approx. 144,000). The earthquake’s impact was felt to varying degrees locally, including in the popular tourism area of Taroko national park (seismology maps show how mountain areas surrounding the city bore the brunt, impacting local infrastructure) and to a certain extent across much of Taiwan. Japan and the Philippines issued tsunami warnings immediately after the event was recorded, which were downgraded and then lifted after no significant wave heights were detected.
Aftershocks occurred in the days after the main earthquake. Landslides outside the city and bad weather made conditions challenging for rescue services. An analysis found the earthquake caused 18 fatalities and more than 1,000 people injured (Chang et al., 2024).
Estimates of the extent of damage to buildings and infrastructure vary (some reports estimate approx. 100 buildings, others a higher number). Whilst photos of collapsed and perilously tilted buildings featured in the news, and some degree of building damage was reported further afield, including in Taipei (160km away), the vast majority of buildings remained intact, and the people of Hualien city and county demonstrated economic resilience.
Despite the impact of the earthquake on people and on the physical environment of the local area, it could have been a lot worse were it not for the policies and measures that have been pursued in Taiwan over many years to reduce vulnerability to earthquakes. An emphasis on and a mindset of lessons applied, not just identified, has been key.
Today, Hualien (and Taiwan overall) maintains readiness to earthquakes and tsunamis.
Whereas earthquakes in recent years in some parts of the world have killed tens of thousands, Taiwan shows how the right mindset, the right investment and good governance can avoid disasters occurring when an earthquake strikes.
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