TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On April 3, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near Hualien — the strongest in Taiwan since the 1999 Jiji Earthquake.
Taiwan has learned a lot about disaster resilience since 1999, and according to disaster preparation experts, much of that was put into practice following the recent Hualien quake. Taiwan News spoke to six experts in different fields to understand how the past has helped shape Taiwan’s efficient and swift response to large quakes and what more preparations can be made for the future.
Tzu Chi Foundation, a Buddhist humanitarian charity, has headquarters in Hualien, and its volunteers formed a large part of the workforce that responded to the quake. Tzu Chi Foundation Director of Lean Planning for Volunteer Development Joe Huang (黃思浩) said that since 2018, Tzu Chi has been working with the government to provide training and expand its volunteer base.
Huang said this close working relationship with government agencies allowed for faster deployment of staff and resources to areas they were needed after the quake. The government was quick to provide locations for the volunteers where help was needed, Huang said, so Tzu Chi could efficiently deploy staff and equipment.
Watch the full interviews on YouTube
"In past decades, the government has revised our building codes several times,” Deputy Director of National Central University’s Earthquake-Disaster & Risk Evaluation and Management Center (EDREaM) Chan Chung-han (詹忠翰) said. Chan said Taiwan’s first building codes were implemented in the 1970s, though were significantly revised after the 1999 Jiji Earthquake.
“Because of this earthquake, our government became aware of the importance of the building codes,” Chan said. However, he said that many of Taipei’s buildings were built before 1999, and that this causes potential risks.
Chair of the Taipei Professional Civil Engineers Association Chuang Chun-wei (莊均緯) said that after an earthquake, individuals can carry out preliminary assessments of buildings to make sure they are not seriously damaged or unsafe.
If the outside of a building does not appear to be seriously leaning, Chuang said residents should then observe each floor for structural cracks, which will likely appear in a diagonal or “X” shape along a wall.
“If your house has any of these cracks in its beams or columns, you need to consult a professional technician or talk to the landlord,” Chuang said. However, he also noted that many of Taiwan’s houses have likely already surpassed their intended lifespan, and encouraged wider participation in urban renewal projects.
Chuang said that those participating in urban renewal projects might end up with less floor space in their apartments, though the value of that floor space is likely to be much higher. He said in addition to increased value, safety will improve significantly through urban renewal plans.
Taiwan News also spoke to personal disaster preparedness and fitness experts Tobie Openshaw and T.H. Schee (徐子涵), who gave tips on preparing emergency kits and personal training for disaster scenarios, respectively. See the full video on YouTube for insights from Openshaw, Schee, and complete interviews with the experts quoted above.