Debunking Misconseptions About Earthquakes

Misconceptions about earthquakes are widespread not only in Jamaica but globally, often leading to confusion and potentially dangerous actions during seismic events.

Acting Director General at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), Richard Thompson, tells JIS News that one of the most persistent misconceptions is the idea that during an earthquake, going under a table or desk should be avoided.

“Every time there is a major earthquake, there is this thing that we always have to battle that always goes on the Internet, where people are saying that you don’t go under a table, or you don’t go under a desk or stand in a doorjamb… you just curl up in an open space. That is a misconception,” Mr. Thompson states.

“Why we preach what we preach in terms of the drop, cover, hold is basically to protect yourself in more moderate-type quakes, where you have stuff coming down from your ceiling,” he adds.

Another misconception is that children have a better chance of surviving in earthquakes than adults.

“Probably there’s a reason for that [misconception]. If you end up in a collapsed building you sometimes have small pockets [and] kids are smaller than adults, so sometimes they are able to fit in those small pockets. Nonetheless, we ensure that we preach the preparedness science to the schools,” Mr. Thompson says.

During an earthquake, the first thought of many will be to get out whichever building they are in as quickly as possible, believing that the fastest way out is the safest.

Mr. Thompson advises against this, stating that “in an event [and] persons go running out the building, do not do that. We normally say you stay in the building and try to ride out the quake and perform what the authorities always preach, the drop, cover, hold”.

Running out of the building can expose persons to falling debris and other hazards.

“Persons tend to use elevators as well, because they think that is a fast way of getting out. We always say, don’t do that. Use one of the strongest parts in your building, which is your staircase, to move,” he informs.

Meanwhile, Head and Research Fellow at the Earthquake Unit (EQU) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Kevin Tankoo says persons often confuse earthquake magnitude with intensity, causing them to disbelieve or misinterpret official readings or data.

“We may get an earthquake, and individuals might call in and say, ‘your equipment is wrong… that never felt like [magnitude X]’, because they are trying to relate it to a previous event. Earthquakes occur in different areas, different fault lines, and they occur at different depths… so when somebody says, ‘that didn’t feel like the last one’, that’s the intensity; nothing to do with magnitude,” Mr. Tankoo explains.

“Magnitude is the amount of energy that is released, and it’s a standard number. Of course, they utilise different scales to understand this. Intensity, however, is what you feel at your location. So, if you’re in the third story or eighth story, your experience or the level of shaking and the effects would be different. In some of the taller buildings, you don’t get that sort of jerking motion or that sort of rumbling motion that you would experience on the ground,” he adds.

The ODPEM and the EQU continue to educate the public and conduct research to better understand seismic activity and improve safety measures.

By debunking these misconceptions, the aim is to enhance public awareness and ensure that Jamaicans are better prepared to respond safely during earthquakes.