The Chi-Chi earthquake

The Chi-Chi earthquake, also known as the Jiji earthquake, 921 Earthquake, or the Great Earthquake of September 21, was a powerful 7.7 magnitude quake that struck Jiji (Chi-Chi), Nantou County, Taiwan, on September 21, 1999, at 1:47 AM local time. This devastating disaster claimed 2,415 lives, injured 11,305 people, and caused $300 billion in damages. It stands as Taiwan’s second-deadliest earthquake, following the 1935 Shinchiku-Taichu earthquake. In the more modern age of 1999, one might expect that the buildings would have been better able to withstand the quake, but I suppose that older buildings were simply not updated.

After the quake, rescue teams from around the world joined local relief workers and the Taiwanese military to dig out survivors, clear rubble, restore essential services, and distribute food and aid to over 100,000 people left homeless by the disaster. Dubbed the “Quake of the Century” by local media, the event had a significant impact on the island’s economy and people’s awareness. Dissatisfaction with the government’s response was even cited by a Taiwanese sociologist as a factor in the ruling Kuomintang party losing the 2000 presidential election. At the time of the quake, Taiwan had the world’s most advanced network of sensors and monitoring stations, providing “probably the best data set ever collected for an earthquake.” A peak ground motion of 10 ft/s was recorded at one station, the highest ever measured in an earthquake. Soil liquefaction occurred in Yuanlin, leading to building foundation settlement and water wells being filled by sand boils. The earthquake struck along the Chelungpu Fault in western Taiwan, which runs through the foothills of the Central Mountains in Nantou County and Taichung County (now part of Taichung City). Some areas near the fault were elevated by as much as 23 feet. Near Dongshih, at the northern end of the fault, the surface rupture diverted the Dajia River, creating a nearly 23-foot-high waterfall. The total surface rupture extended about 63 miles. It made no difference.

Following the devastating quake and massive losses, the area now holds a 9:21am earthquake drill every year on September 21st, a drill message is sent to all mobile phones through the Public Warning System in the form of a national alert. The people want to not only bring awareness, but to also pay tribute to the many lives lost on that fateful day.