How can an Earthquake in the US be less deadly than a earthquake in Turkey or Syria of the same magnitude?

[smahala1991]

The US has had higher magnitude earthquakes with far less to almost no fatalities than the one in Turkey and Syria. Aren't Turkey and Syria as well educated on safety as the US is?

[WindAtMyBack]

There are a lot of factors involved besides the magnitude. I don't think the US has had any recent earthquakes similar to the Turkey quake in heavily populated areas.

I was in California during the Loma Prieta quake in 1989. That's the largest I know of in a populated area in at least 50-60 years, maybe much longer than that. That one was 6.9 compared to 7.8 in Turkey. That's a really big difference. If a 7.8 hit in the same place as the Loma Prieta the damage would have been far worse than it already was.

The magnitude, location, type of quake, type of rock/soil/sand all make a difference. Of course the population density makes a huge difference.

Everyone is mentioning the building codes. Yea that will make a difference, but I doubt if it will makes as much difference as people think, at least not in residential houses. It probably makes a bigger difference in large commercial buildings where the costs are not as critical. Yes, the cost is a factor because it has to be.

I was building houses in California to earthquake code. There are two things. There are standard building codes that affect all modern houses. Then there are specific codes for earthquake, fire, energy, wind/tornadoes/hurricanes etc. The earthquake specific codes will do almost nothing against a hard hitting earthquake. The only difference they will make are out in fringe areas where the quake is less severe. In those areas it probably won't be life saving in most cases, but will reduce the damage. Probably standard codes will do more than earthquake specific codes, but they will still give very little protection from a strong quake.

[RolandCuthbert]

Don't worry. . . with the rate of the decline of American infrastructure, we will start having those types of fatalities soon enough.

We used to be really good about maintaining infrastructure. Now that is technically classified as "socialism".

https://www.csis.org/analysis/united-states-broken-infrastructure-national-security-threat

The United States’ Broken Infrastructure Is a National Security Threat

The warning signs are everywhere. In Texas, a winter storm leaves millions of households without power. In Wisconsin, farmers are struggling to safely use modern equipment on roads that were built over 50 years ago. In Arizona, a century-old bridge partially collapsed last summer after a train derailed. In Florida, old pipes are leaking millions of gallons of sewage. America, the city on a hill, is crumbling.

[jennifer_bloom]

America had rules about how you build houses so they can withstand these types of disasters and they have infrastructure designed to protect the country against earth quakes and it’s also far from the equator which is where earth quakes and natural disasters are more likely to happen.

[Astarlessnightsky]

Population density
When more people live in a small area there are more casulties

style of houses
Bricks will collapse while concrete just toples over, in concrete houses you got more caves where people can survive, while bricks will just crush the people.

Being used to earthquakes
countries like Japan who have many earthquakes a year are more prepared while other countries who never experience an earthquake will be surpirsed.

[Leopard23]

Building in Turkey is not well regulated, buildings in Turkey at the best of times without earthquakes are death traps. They don't have the numbers of trained first responders etc and expertise on disasters. America is 50 states, Turkey is just one.

Not that the US is perfect, if Building was more regulated in the US hurricane katrina may not have been as deadly. Our infrastructure needs a major overhaul.

[Anonymous]

That very much depends on where the earth quake takes place.

In the western US where the plates are broken up with many fault lines Earth quakes of high intensity are also very localized as well as frequent.

In the Eastern USA which is mostly 1 large plate an Earth Quake thou much more rare would be very damaging. both because it would be wide spread and because fewer structures are made to withstand it.

[MotorbikeGuy]

I remember in 1989 in California when that elevated roadway collapsed and smashed the tractor of an 18 wheeler, crushed it all the way down to the top of the tires!! That was horrible!!

[HighValue]

Better quality buildings that are more resistant and better/more access to emergency services so there can respond quicker.

[Paul09]

I've heard they don't even use rebars in there builds. They use the cheapest material. And also they build too high. Suppose to be 3 floors max. Thats what corruption does. Governments don't care, one worse than the other.

[Brando10222]

Just search why many buildings collapsed in Turkey cause of earthquake. You'll have uour answer

[dinojames22]

The United States is better prepare for such events. Between better building requirements and a more robust Emergency Management System they are better set for those type of events

[In_Trance]

It isn't. People from abroad will say otherwise though

[msc545]

We retrofit our buildings against earthquakes and it mostly works.

[SnowedIn]

Construction standards and corruption.

[Wise4myage]

America has better infrastructure.

[ishoeiii]

Building codes