On the 25th anniversary of 921, a devastating 7.3 earthquake on September 21, 1999, experts continue to monitor seismic activity around Taiwan in the hopes that the country will be better prepared for the next quake.
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On the 25th anniversary of the 921 earthquake, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) visited the Kuangfu Junior High School destroyed by the powerful 7.3 earthquake. The damage to the school was particularly shocking, as entire sections of classrooms collapsed, the activity area can be seen sagging into a sinkhole, and the athletic track bulges like badly folded fabric.
The school is also at the location of the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan, located in Wufeng, Taichung. The Museum held a special commemoration for the 25th anniversary of the devastating event, and now mostly focuses on promoting disaster prevention, and public safety.
Earthquake expert Chen Wen-shan (陳文山) says an area of particular interest has been the "Lichi-Luyeh Fault" area located in Southern Taiwan, at the southernmost point of Taiwan’s “Faultline valley”. The average number of quakes in this area over the last 30 years has remained in the single digits, much lower than that of the nearby fault valley area, and rarely has it experienced seismic activity above a 6 on the Richter scale. Because of this, Chen believes that it is likely more energy has been building up, than has been regularly released– increasing the chance of it all being released at once in a large quake.
Such an incident has happened in Taiwan’s history before, along the Central Mountains Seismic Fault zone. Chen warns that when it comes to housing, safety should be a primary concern. Those built in areas with frequent seismic activity, like in the East, are likely more prepared. Nonetheless, if a house is over 40 years old, it should be inspected for earthquake safety.
The Lichi-Luyeh Fault area is over 30km long, extending from Luyeh, Taitung, to about 10km off the coast of Taitung City. In addition to the energy accrued over the last decades, it is in the most quake-prone area of Taiwan, leading experts to believe a strong earthquake of 7 or higher could be in store in the future.
Regardless of where you live in Taiwan, the anniversary of such a catastrophic event in Taiwan’s history is a grave reminder that forethought is the best protection against the forces of nature.
Amanda Stephens for RTI News