6.3 Earthquake Hits Italy

[LukeAir2008]

[pjbrownie]

Something DID happen on April 6, 2009! I think God is warning us.

[pjbrownie]

Drudge Report states people thought it was the end of the world

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... firms.html

[semplicemente Mia]

i'm italian.

it's horrible..
207 dead..

4 mormon families without home..

l'aquila doesn't exist anymore..

EDIT: 4 students dead..

[ChelC]

My Aunt is from Italy and I have heard nothing back yet about her family there. Mia, I hope recovery comes swiftly for you there.

[semplicemente Mia]

ChelC, i'm praying for your aunt..

One of my friend lost her house, but she is alive and now she is in rome. but another friend is disappeared.

i'm from modena, my city in on the water so we have few earthquake no strong and one every 5-7 years..

in l'aquila there are a lot of news but there are not all true..

tragedy..

[ChelC]

I just realized the way that read... I should clarify. My Aunt lives in the states, it is her family living in Italy that I've not heard about.

I hope you find your other friend well.

[ChelC]

Heard from my aunt today and her family is all accounted for and didn't sustain any damage. I hope you get some good news for your friend, Mia.

[kathyn]

My daughter and her family are headed to Italy tomorrow. They're going to Rome and Florence, I believe. Hope all is well with the Saints there.

[semplicemente Mia]

The Saints in L'Aquila are fine, but without their home.

235 dead..

Now it's 23.20..

I'm going to sleep, while in L'Aquila a lot of people sleep in a tent and other people search..

[semplicemente Mia]

So we are rebuilding L'Aquila.
No missing but 294 dead.
We are proud, we are strong..

[Spence]

Any thoughts on why the high death toll in Italy. If a 6.3 happened here, I doubt a single person would die. Old buildings or just heavy ones built from earth materials?

Here there is a green movement (hate "green stuff) for straw bail houses. I like the safety of 2 foot thick walls from attack, the insulation and cheapness, but I am wary of it due to earthquakes seeing the tolls quakes have around the world and I can only attribute it to the heavy construction of earthen materials.

[Zowieink]

My guess is that the heavy death toll is cause by a total lack of reinforcment in the buildings. 200 years ago, construction methods included a thick base of rubble mortared together and then the finish materials were applied to the outside, usually stone or stucco and stucco on the inside. The structure that held up the roof just rested on the rubble walls. Now, if the earthquake had an up and down motion, not to much damage. But if its a sideways motion, its death to unreinforced masonry buildings. So, I would bet that most of the death toll was in the older parts of town.

It reminds me of an LDS chapel I worked on. It was to be a remodel. We got into it and found that the walls were unreinforced, and the roof was not attached to the walls. Weight and friction help it together. It was torn down and a new building put up. Everyone kept wondering why stress cracks kept appearing where the walls intersect the ceiling. Good thing we don't have earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, or the like, because it would have gone down easily with any natural disaster.