Articles | Volume 17, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-581-2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-17-581-2017
Review article
 | 
19 Apr 2017
Review article |  | 19 Apr 2017

The street as an area of human exposure in an earthquake aftermath: the case of Lorca, Spain, 2011

Marc Bertran Rojo, Elise Beck, and Céline Lutoff

Abstract. The earthquake which struck the city of Lorca, Spain, on 11 May 2011 killed 9 people, injured over 300 and caused considerable damage, including one collapsed building. Streets near buildings were the main danger areas for people. This article proposes an dynamic ad hoc spatio-temporal method for studying individual evacuation after an earthquake. Its application to the Lorca case shows the spatial and temporal variability of individual exposure levels in the street during the hours following the shock. As yet little studied, human exposure deserves more attention, particularly in zones of moderate seismicity like the Euro-Mediterranean area. The results of this study could be helpful for enhancing the evacuation planning after an earthquake, stressing the specific dangers in the street.

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Short summary
The Lorca earthquake (Spain; 11 May 2011) killed 9 people, injured over 300 and caused huge damage. The vicinity of buildings in the street was the most unsafe area for people. This article proposes a method to study individual evacuation after a seism. Applied to Lorca, it shows the spatio-temporal variability of individual exposure in the street after the shake. The results of this study are helpful to preventive actions in places with moderate seismicity, stressing the danger of the street.
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