Eugenio Polanco, director of the UASD state university Seismological Institute, the principal earthquake-monitoring center in the country, explains that every year 1,000-1,200 small tremors are recorded, around 1-20 a day, rendering a relatively low seismicity. Nevertheless, he said a significant earthquake can happen at any time and the population should take measures to mitigate damages.
Polanco says science cannot yet precisely forecast when and where an earthquake will take place, but it can identify the areas where this will occur. He explained around 1 to 20 micro earthquakes occur each day in the country, and areas such as the eastern, northern and southern zones are more prone to these tremors. He said that while the country has not suffered a major earthquake in a long time, the factors for a major earthquake occurring are in place.
Polanco was interviewed by Federico Méndez, for the TV program Esferas de Poder on Sunday, 14 October 2018.
He explained that the blocks that form both the tectonic plates and the geological faults are constantly interacting with each other, which causes deformations that cause accumulation of energy, which in turn generates ruptures that cause earthquakes.
Polanco explained that in the community of Villa Elisa, Montecristi, there have been more than 100 seismic events in a short time of between two and three weeks.
“The Dominican Republic is located exactly in the northern part of the Caribbean plate, where it interacts with the North American plate. That is the main reason why the earth trembles in the Dominican Republic,” he said.
Polanco explained that the country has a series of geological faults that are also capable of generating significant earthquakes, which is corroborated by the occurrences of the past.
The last major earthquake to be felt in the country was on 22 September 2003, with a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter Scale. This had its epicenter in the northern province of Puerto Plata, where several buildings collapsed and caused three deaths and around 30 persons injured. It was also felt strongly in Santiago, in the center of the country.
Among recommendations for preventing damages in case of a big earthquake are:
Secure belongings.
Brace all bookcases, storage shelves, put latches on cabinet doors, file cabinets.
Fasten water containers, heaters and other appliances that could fall.
Store hazardous materials in a sturdy place.
Secure picture frames, bulletin boards and other wall-mounted equipment to the walls using closed screw-eyes to prevent falling.
Keep fire extinguishers handy.
Replace rigid plumbing supply lines and couplings with flexible braided lines and flexible couples to reduce the chance of rupture.
Brace mechanical equipment such as air conditioning equipment and water heaters to the wall/or floor to prevent overturning or shifting.
Read more in Spanish:
El Nacional
16 October 2018
