What Were The Effects Of The Kobe Earthquake (17 January 1995)?
One can count the number of deaths caused by large earthquakes to compare the results of all these disparate factors in combination. The Oct. 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred in the least-populated area of the generally urban San Francisco peninsula. Construction standards in the area are relatively high, and the populace relatively prepared. However, soft, highly-saturated soils near San Francisco Bay caused some spectacular failures of large highway structures unusually far away from the event. Even though it was rush hour, many fewer cars were on the roads due to the start of the opening game of the World Series, being played locally. Thus deaths were limited to about 75.
