A One-Two (and three and four and...) Punch

A popular tourist attraction and natural wonder along the coast of Puerto Rico was toppled today by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake.  The stunning Punta Ventana rock formation (below) is yet the latest casualty in a string of natural events to buffet/rock the island in the last few years.  Homes and buildings that still bear blue tarps from damage caused by Hurricane Maria are now cracked and damaged. Fortunately, the most recent string of quakes hasn't yet caused any deaths or serious injuries.

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Quoted in the New York Times, Puerto Rican seismologist Elizabeth Vanacore said, "people felt the recent quakes because they were shallow and occurred near land. 'People can expect to feel more earthquakes over the next few days, especially given its location near the coast.'  Puerto Rico lies near the border of the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. 'We’re just as likely to have earthquakes as a place like California, Japan, New Zealand, Alaska.'" 

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Ironically, the same geomorphological forces that shaped Punta Ventana in the first place are those that removed it from the landscape. While some expressed understandable grief at the loss of a familiar landmark, the continued suffering of the people of Puerto Rico is the real tragedy here.  

Just over a year ago, the Commonwealth's government passed new, more stringent building codes in response to seismic hazards, among others.  A FEMA press release on the topic included the following statement:

      Puerto Rico’s 2018 building code represents the first significant revision since 2011. The codes include hazard resistant provisions that provide for safer construction in all of the island’s 78 municipalities....

      The new codes are more current than the codes currently observed by most mainland states…

      The benefits of a strong, modern building code in concert with comprehensive enforcement practices have been documented following previous disasters. The adoption of updated building codes in Puerto Rico and the enforcement of those codes are sure to make communities safer from disasters.

 

Let's hope this is the case.