Benefits and Costs of Earthquake Early Warning

Research Article| March 23, 2016 Benefits and Costs of Earthquake Early Warning Jennifer A. Strauss; Jennifer A. Strauss aBerkeley Seismological Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 215 McCone Hall, Number 4760, Berkeley, California 94720 U.S.A.jastrauss@berkeley.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Richard M. Allen Richard M. Allen aBerkeley Seismological Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 215 McCone Hall, Number 4760, Berkeley, California 94720 U.S.A.jastrauss@berkeley.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Seismological Research Letters (2016) 87 (3): 765–772. https://doi.org/10.1785/0220150149 Article history first online: 14 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Jennifer A. Strauss, Richard M. Allen; Benefits and Costs of Earthquake Early Warning. Seismological Research Letters 2016;; 87 (3): 765–772. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220150149 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietySeismological Research Letters Search Advanced Search ABSTRACT Earthquake early warning (EEW) is the rapid detection of earthquakes underway and the alerting of people and infrastructure in harms way. Public warning systems are now operational in Mexico and Japan, and smaller‐scale systems deliver alerts to specific users in Turkey, Taiwan, China, Romania, and the United States. The warnings can arrive seconds to minutes before strong shaking, and a review of early warning applications around the world shows this time can be used to reduce the impact of an earthquake by many sectors of society. Individuals can use the alert time to drop, cover, and hold on, reducing injuries and fatalities, or if alert time allows, evacuate hazardous buildings. Train derailments can be reduced, chemical splits limited, patients in hospitals protected, fire ignitions prevented; workers in hazardous environments protected from fall/pinch hazards, reducing head injuries and/or death. It is impossible to complete an exhaustive list of applications and savings generated by a warning system in the United States, but the benefits clearly outweigh the costs. Three lives saved, two semiconductor plants warned, one Bay Area Rapid Transit train slowed, a 1% reduction in nonfatal injuries, and a 0.25% avoidance of gas‐related fire damage would each save enough money to pay for 1 year of operation of a public warning system for the entire U.S. West Coast. EEW could also reduce the number of injuries in earthquakes by more than 50%. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.