How can earthquakes be managed?

Answer 1

No one can manage an earthquake. Earthquakes will happen. Buildings can however be built to a code. The houses in Haiti were not built to code. The houses in South Florida which were built to code withstood Hurricane Andrew, a level 5 hurricane, without damage. Those not built to code blew away. The houses in Guatemala built to code withstood a major earthquake. Those not built to code fell down. The houses in Haiti can be rebuilt using the Guatemalan building code.

Instead of using concrete without rebar, the Guatemalan code calls for more rebar than is used in the United States. Also the roof is attached to the wall. It costs very little more to make a building in Guatemala than in Haiti. It costs a whole lot less when it is not blown down in a hurricane or destroyed in an earthquake.