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Catastrophe Reports
ABS Consulting Releases Wenchuan Earthquake Report
December 18, 2008 - Houston, TX
ABS Consulting sent a team to investigate damages and detail observations at Chengdu, Deyang, Mianyang, Shifang, Dujiangyan and Mianzhu after the Wenchuan Earthquake that occurred May 12, 2008.
Wind Effects of Hurricane Ike on Chase Tower in Downtown Houston
December 15, 2008 - Houston, TX
ABS Consulting recently released the Wind Effects of Hurricane Ike on Chase Tower in Downtown Houston portion of its Hurricane Ike study. A full report is scheduled to be released the first quarter of 2009.
Pisco Peru Earthquake
August 15, 2007 - Central Peru
A magnitude 8.0 subduction earthquake shook Central Peru on August 15, 2007, at 6:41 PM local time. The epicenter was located offshore, 30 miles west of Chincha Alta, about 95 miles south of Lima, at a depth of 24 miles. Approximately 600 people were killed, primarily due to the collapse of adobe structures.
Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake
July 2007 - Niigata-prefecture, Japan
On July 16, 2007 a major earthquake (Mjma = 6.8) occurred offshore, north of the Niigata-prefecture. The earthquake epicenter was located at latitude 37.5 degrees and longitude 138.6 (60 kilometers southwest of Niigata), which depth is 17 kilomters.
Flash Report on the Noto Hanto Earthquake
March 2007 - Noto Peninsula, Japan
On March 25, 2007, an Earthquake with the magnitude of 6.9 (Mjma) occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture, located about 300km NW from Tokyo. The epicenter was located at 37.13N, 136.41E, and the depth of the seismic source was 11km below
the ground surface.
Andaman-Nicobar Earthquake
December 2004 - Southeast Asia
ABS Consulting sent a reconnaissance team to investigate the devastation caused by the tsunami in Southeast Asia. Its findings and conclusions following the investigation are located in its Andaman-Nicobar Earthquake Report.
Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake
October 2004 - Tokyo, Japan
On October 23, 2004, an earthquake with a Magnitude of 6.8 occurred in Niigata, which is located about 200 kilometers NNW of Tokyo. The epicenter was located at N37.17, E138.52. According to a report issued by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency on October 29, 35 people were killed, 3,183 people were injured, approximately 6,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged and at least 1,300 landslides occurred.
Southern
California Wildfires of 2003
2003 - California, USA
The metropolitan areas in southern California, stretching
from Los Angeles to San Diego, have expanded in recent
decades to the edges of the wildland, and in many cases,
even intermingled with the forest areas, creating fire-prone
zones known as the wildland-urban interface.
The
2003 Tokachi-oki Earthquake
September 2003 - Hokkaido, Japan
A severe earthquake struck Hokkaido, Japan, at 4:50 a.m.
on September 26, 2003. Epicenter of the earthquake was
about 80km east-southeast of Erimo Cape, offshore of
Tokachi.
Report
Into the Storm "Jeanette"
October 2002 - Europe
The storm "Jeanette" moved across the west
coast of Ireland in the early hours of October 27th,
and during the following day moved across northern England,
the North Sea, Denmark and into Sweden.
Central
European Flooding
August 2002 - Europe
The flood event was triggered by unusual, but not exceptional,
meteorological conditions. Two rain-bearing depressions
(Vb category of European cyclones) crossed Europe in
close succession during the first half of August.
Seattle
(Nisqually), Washington Earthquake
February 2001 - Washington, USA
At 10:55 a.m. local time, Wednesday February 28, 2001,
a magnitude 6.98 (Mw 6.8) earthquake struck Western Washington
State. The epicenter was located approximately 11 miles
(18km) northeast of Olympia, Washington, the capital,
and approximately 36 miles (58km) southwest of Seattle.
Activity
at Usu Volcano, Hokkaido, Japan
March 2000 - Hokkaido, Japan
Mt. Usu is a stratovolcano located on Hokkaido, Japan.
It lies at the southernmost extent of the Kurile Trench
and formed as a result of the subduction of the Pacific
plate beneath the Eurasian plate.
The
European Storms Lothar and Martin
December 1999 - Europe
Free of major storm damage since 1990, northwestern Europe
was battered by two large Extra-Tropical Cyclones after
Christmas 1999. With hurricane force windspeeds, Lothar
and Martin tore through southern England, France, southern
Germany, Switzerland, Austria, northern Italy and northern
Spain.
Chichi,
Taiwan Earthquake
September 1999 - Chichi, Taiwan
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 occurred in Taiwan at
1:47 a.m. on September 21, 1999. The epicenter was approximately
7km NW of Chichi, a small town bordering a mountainous
resort area, located 155km from Taipei, the capital.
Izmit,
Turkey Earthquake
August 1999 - Izmit, Turkey
A 45-second earthquake of Richter magnitude 7.4 (M7.4)
occurred in Turkey on Tuesday, August 17, 1999 at 3:01
a.m. local time. The epicenter was approximately seven
miles (11km) southeast of Izmit, an industrial city approximately
56 miles (90km) east of Istanbul.
Western
Washington Earthquake
July 1999 - Washington, USA
At 6:44 p.m. local time on Friday, July 2, 1999, a magnitude
(Mm) 5.9 earthquake shook parts of western Washington
State. The epicenter was located approximately 68 miles
southwest of Seattle and approximately five miles north
of Satsop, Washington.
Puerto
Rico: Damage Investigation of Hurricane Georges
September 1998 - Puerto Rico
Hurricane Georges wove its path of destruction through
the Caribbean, killing an estimated 465 people before
making its way to the Floriday Keys and US mainland.
Most of the deaths were reported from storm-related flooding,
especially in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Typhoon
Paka
December 1997 - Guam & Philippines
On Tuesday, December 16, 1997, Typhoon Paka, with peak
gust wind speeds of 240 mph, the highest wind speeds
ever recorded over land, swept across the island of Guam.
Typhoon Paka made landfall at approximately 7 p.m. local
time.
Kobe
Earthquake
January 1995 - Kobe, Japan
This report summarizes the effects of the Kobe Earthquake,
one of the costliest natural disasters in history. Immediately
after the main shock, an earthquake reconnaisance team
from EQE went to the affected region to evaluate the
effects of the earthquake and to assess the extent and
causes of damage to structures and infrastructure before
critical evidence was removed.
Major
Wind Storms of 1995
1995 - International Storms
Nineteen ninety-five was the most active hurricane season
in the Atlantic in 60 years, producing 19 named storms.
The Pacific storm season was so active that forecasters
used up their alphabet of names and started over again
at Angela, the 27th storm of the season and the 14th
major storm to hit the Philippines.
Northridge,
California Earthquake
January 1994 - California, USA
At 4:31 a.m., Pacific Standard Time, on Monday, January
17, a moderate but very damaging earthquake with a moment
magnitude (Mw) of 6.7 struck the densely populated San
Fernando Valley, in northern Los Angeles. This region
has been repeatedly rocked by moderate to large earthquakes
throughout recorded history.
The
Southern California Wildfires of 1993
1993 - California, USA
The 7,000-square-mile Los Angeles metropolitan region
is surrounded on three sides by mountains, creating the
Los Angeles Basin, which is home to about 14 million
people. An important aspect of basin topography is a
condition known as the Santa Ana
winds — hot, dry high winds that blow from
the eastern high desert regions over the mountains into
the basin.
Hurricanes
Andrew and Iniki
August 1992 - South Florida and Hawaii, USA
On August 24, Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida, resulting
in the destruction of 85,000 dwelling units and buildings — $15
billion to $20 billion in property values — leaving
hundreds of thousands of people homeless. By these measures,
Hurricane Andrew is the worst US natural disaster since
the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
The
Landers and Big Bear Earthquakes
June 1992 - South Florida and Hawaii, USA
On Sunday, June 28, 1992, at 4:58 a.m. the most powerful
US earthquake in 40 years rumbled through southern California.
It was the largest earthquake in California since 1952
and the second largest since 1906.
The
Cape Mendocino Earthquakes
April 1992 - California, USA
On April 25 and 26, 1992, three earthquakes of major
importance to the study of earthquake engineering occurred
in the Cape Mendocino area of northwest California. Records
at Cape Mendocino indicate that the intitial shock produced
the largest ground motion ever recorded in California.
Fire
in the East Bay Hills
October 1991 - California, USA
The October conflageration in Oakland, California, showed
how quickly a fire — particularly one where urban
or suburban development encroaches on wildlands — can
grow to devastating proportions. This article, written
one week after the event, takes a preliminary look at
the fire and some of the lessons to be learned.
Philippines
Earthquake
July 1990 - Philippines
On Monday, July 16, 1990, at 4:26 p.m. local time, the
heavily populated island of Luzon, Republic of the Philippines,
was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 7.7. This was
the most recent in a long history of severe earthquakes
that strike the nation of islands at about 10-year intervals.
Newcastle
Earthquake
December 1989 - Newcastle, Australia
At 10:27 a.m. on Thursday, December 28, 1989 the first
fatal earthquake in Australia's history struck the city
of Newcastle and the surrounding Hunter Valley region
of New South Wales (NSW). The epicenter of the 5.5 Richter
magnitude tremblor was estimated to be only 5km west
of the city center.
Loma
Prieta Earthquake
October 1989 - California, USA
At 5:04 p.m., Tuesday, October 17, 1989, as over 62,000
fans filled Candlestick Park for the third game of the
World Series and the San Francisco Bay Area commute moved
into its heaviest flow, a Richter magnitude 7.1 earthquake
struck. It was an emergency palnner's worst-case scenario.
Armenia,
USSR Earthquake
December 1988 - Armenia, USSR
On December 7, 1988 at 11:41 a.m. local time, a powerful
earthquake struck northwest Armenia, a Soviet republic
with 3.5 million people. Armenia occupies approximately
30,000 square kilometers in the southern Caucasus Mountains,
generally considered the boundary between Europe and
Asia.
Summary
of the 1987 Bay of Plenty, New Zealand Earthquake
March 1987 - Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
On March, 2, 1987 at 1:43 p.m. a Richter magnitude 6.2
(M6.2) earthquake struck the eastern Bay of Plenty region
of North Island, New Zealand. The earthquake was preceded
at 1:36 p.m. by a M5.2 foreshock and followed at 1:52
p.m. by a M5.2 aftershock.
Note: EQECAT, Inc.,an ABS Group company, serves the global property and casualty insurance industry, major multinational corporations and financial institutions. EQECAT is known as the technical leader and innovator in the development of analysis tools and methodologies to quantify insurers' and major corporations' exposure to natural and manmade catastrophic risk. |
