The Nisqually Earthquake Information Clearinghouse
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*  SOCIO-ECONOMIC
OBSERVATIONS


Socio-Economics Contact: Peter May, pmay@u.washington.edu

Key Impacts:
  • 1 death (stress induced heart attack), 407 injuries of which 4 are considered serious
  • Minimal sheltering requirements for the first few days
  • Numerous businesses with interrupted service for hours to days because of inspection, repair, or clean-up for which nonstructural damage was a key aspect
  • Temporary closure of a number of state offices with longer-term disruption of legislative functions due to damage to the Capitol Building


Key Observations of the Reconnaissance Report:
  • The relatively small number of injuries and the limited demands placed on the emergency and post-event shelter and recovery systems
  • The successful workings, at multiple levels, of the governmental response
  • The dominating impact of business disruption, including the business of government
  • The uncertain implications of the event for societal concern about future earthquakes


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