GENERAL EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION
Imagine you are lying on a couch watching television.
Suddenly the television set starts to rattle back and forth. At first
you think it must be a large truck or a low flying plane. However,
instead of fading away, the shaking gets stronger. Books and pictures
start falling off the walls. Maybe they fall on you. You try to stand,
but the shaking is so strong that you cannot balance yourself. You end
up on the floor and you hide under a strong table. A loud roaring noise
vibrates in your ears, almost deafening. The power goes out. The
television falls over. You hear dishes breaking in the kitchen. The room
fills with dust. Gradually the shaking stops, and you can stand up
again. You run outside. Trees have fallen over. Power lines litter the
street. A nearby building has collapsed.
Experiencing an earthquake of Magnitude 7 is one
of the most frightening events you may ever experience. But how can the
Earth be so destructive?
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Eight story building in
Caracas, Venezuela.
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