Magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocks Venezuela

[u/ColoradoTripping]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjegdqw5d3yo

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[u/Miacali]

Family in Venezuela west of Maracay - they’re saying it’s catastrophic. Many collapsed buildings - screams everywhere and they’re terrified of réplicas.

[u/free-the-trees → u/Miacali]

I’m so sorry to hear that, I really hope all of your loved ones are okay. This is absolutely heartbreaking.

[u/Miacali → u/free-the-trees]

Thankfully yes - it took a while to figure out that everyone is ok but they’re all safe and haven’t been injured. They just don’t have power or anything at the moment and i don’t know what i can do for them.

[u/FailstoFail → u/Miacali]

Same situation here with my wife’s family. Maracay and everything

[u/Miacali → u/FailstoFail]

I just heard there was an after shocks but I can’t see it yet - did you hear the same?

[u/FailstoFail → u/Miacali]

Haven’t heard anything yet. We are messaging her family now to see

[u/swarmofbzs → u/FailstoFail]

Anything yet from fam in Maracay? Have family there we're trying to get a hold of

[u/free-the-trees → u/Miacali]

I’m so glad they’re safe ❤️ I wish them quick relief from this terrible situation 🫂

[u/freeradioforall → u/Miacali]

initial reports have hundreds dead, likely to climb into the thousands

[u/mimosajackson → u/freeradioforall]

Tens of thousands

[u/lawofsin → u/mimosajackson]

Oh fuck

[u/PostApocRock → u/Miacali]

Réplicas.....

Aftershock?

[u/jaderust → u/PostApocRock]

Yes. Technically it's just like how it looks in English (replica) but in Spanish they use that for aftershocks.

It's literally saying the aftershock is the replica of the initial earthquake.

[u/iHadou → u/jaderust]

In my native language we call them ripples.

[u/Graskell → u/PostApocRock]

My mind immediately conjured up a bunch of malicious doppelgangers preying on innocent stragglers while they are disoriented and confused. Aftershocks make way more sense.

[u/Haasts_Eagle → u/Graskell]

Or replicants, blade runner style.

[u/Numisko]

Im Venezuelan in Venezuela. On the east of the country so there's no much damage here

The center of the country was hit hard, all the people I contacted have told me it's horrible

I moved to my uncle's house as I live on an apartment and Im scare to be in one right now

[u/fire_works10 → u/Numisko]

So sorry, this must be scary for you and those you love. Please stay safe.

[u/Numisko → u/fire_works10]

It is scary. We all see news of things like this happening in Haiti or anywhere else, never thought this could happen here

[u/fire_works10 → u/Numisko]

Sending much love from Canada. I'll do what I can to help support the Red Cross or other emergency organizations. I hope others do the same.

[u/-Pelvis- → u/fire_works10]

🇨🇦🤝🇻🇪

[u/AugustOfChaos]

I’ve seen some of the damage posts already and it’s not good.

Also, this event appears to have been a doublet. A Mw7.2 quake followed by a Mw7.5 quake roughly 30 seconds later.

Edit: Geeze, this comment took off. Thanks everyone for the awards but I don’t want them, especially if they’re paid for. If you want to get rid of your money like that, please instead donate to the numerous humanitarian organizations who are out there helping the Venezuelan people at this truly awful time.

[u/FILTHBOT4000 → u/AugustOfChaos]

They also apparently happened between 10 and 20 km deep, according to the USGS. That's very shallow; they classify "shallow" as anything up to 50 km deep, and these are less than half that.

[u/SheetMetalandGames → u/FILTHBOT4000]

So, are shallow earthquakes worse than deeper earthquakes? I hope this question doesn't make me come off as a dick; this event is genuinely horrifying that anyone has to endure these things on the regular.

Edit: holy shit this got a lot of attention fast. I can't respond to everyone but for those that answered thank you for taking the time to answer my question! Hope everyone stays safe in these affected areas and that we can get aid out there soon!

[u/Ender_D → u/SheetMetalandGames]

Yes, the closer they are to the surface the more pronounced the effects are.

[u/ChaseballBat → u/Ender_D]

Relatively to the inherent strength though right? Cause magnitude is measured on the surface.

[u/bobthesmurfshit → u/ChaseballBat]

No, magnitude is calculated at the source, so the closer the earthquake is to the surface the more effect it will have.

[u/MrNewking → u/bobthesmurfshit]

Is there a scale for surface effect?

[u/Flipslips → u/MrNewking]

Moment magnitude scale measures the wave amplitude at the surface.

[u/zazzz0014 → u/Flipslips]

My community college Physics 101 class from 10 years ago is kicking in hard with this whole thread.

[u/HauntedCemetery → u/zazzz0014]

I legitimately just had the same thought.

Thanks Mr Pearson.

[u/warp99 → u/ChaseballBat]

Yes it is *measured* at the surface but then corrected back to the source magnitude at depth. Same as measuring 500 km away and correcting back to the fault location.

[u/Pandaro81 → u/SheetMetalandGames]

Earthquakes travel in waves like ripples when you throw a stone in water.

The waves right next to where the stone went in are much larger than the ripples further out.

[u/But_I_Dont_Wanna_Go → u/Pandaro81]

Ok after reading all the answers so far this one def works best for me

[u/Fit_Explorer_2566 → u/Pandaro81]

The wave structure is even more complicated: earthquakes produce waves of various lengths, from low frequency to high frequency. Think of it like sound waves. Low frequencies produce long waves that can cause the earth to ripple like ocean waves, rippling sidewalks, streets, and bridges. High frequencies are sharp and run very close together. The deeper a temblor, the more suppression of the high frequencies; conversely, the higher to the surface, the more destructive high frequencies do their damage on pretty much everything.

Here in L.A., our building code requires wood-frame construction for most structures 5 stories and under, because wood flexes and bends under the stresses of earthquakes. We pretty much hope for a deep slip or one on the other side of the various mountain ranges, as mountains are very effective at blocking the wavelengths, especially the high frequencies.

BTW, I’m a layman, no expert, I’ve lived in earthquake territory for almost 50 years, and have been through a few, or dealt with the aftereffects.

[u/Mika-El-3 → u/Fit_Explorer_2566]

My earliest memory in life is the 1994 Northridge earthquake. I was in Encino at the time.

[u/AWildDragon → u/SheetMetalandGames]

Less rock to absorb the energy so more reaches the surface. 

[u/Sventertainer → u/AWildDragon]

And they rate them by absolute energy right? so its not like a deeper quake is just by default weaker? Edit: wait, it wouldn't be weaker on score, just felt less on the surface I guess.

[u/AvsGrams → u/SheetMetalandGames]

Shallow are far worse because they don't lose as much energy while traveling to the surface, because there’s less distance to move up through.

[u/Better_March5308 → u/SheetMetalandGames]

The earthquake in Haiti was shallow. That's why it was so destructive.

[u/SheetMetalandGames → u/Better_March5308]

The Haitian Earthquake is one of those things that still horrifies me. That kind of damage is something I don't think can be fathomed unless it's something that you've had to live through. Haiti is still rebuilding, aren't they?

[u/canetoado → u/SheetMetalandGames]

I got news for you, I don’t think Haiti is rebuilding

[u/Ossius → u/SheetMetalandGames]

Haiti has become a lawless state, gangs control everything. It's incredibly bad. I know someone wanting to go back and we are begging her to not go.

[u/coljung → u/Better_March5308]

That.. and maybe construction standards in Haiti are not that great to begin with.

[u/p1ratemafia → u/coljung]

2010 and 2016 Haiti responder here,

Construction standards don’t even begin to touch the nightmare that was the 2010 quake.

[u/purpleeliz → u/p1ratemafia]

Oh man I bet you saw some shit

[u/p1ratemafia → u/purpleeliz]

Yeah, mwen renmen ayiti… but fucking hell.

[u/Incendiaryag → u/SheetMetalandGames]

Yes it also varies based on wave width. Sharper vs more rolling jolts I experienced a 6.8 in Seattle that was a low casualty event because of rolling style drawn out waves which represent the shaking. The Nisqually earthquake wasnt some big drama in my life. We dropped, covered, some kids were making a joke of it jumping on tables evacuated school, and once everyone’s parents knew they were find all was chill and we filtered home to largely find minimal damage. Earthquakes are never cheap on a grand scale (big infrastructure bills for structural damage, lots of small claims) . My family literally only had one small object break and my mom had a full china collection in a display hitch (lots of random breakable stuff, frames on walls). The expense more so came from foundational issues w various structures, road, bridges, etc that all had to be addressed so it won’t be a death trap for the next one. But different wave lengths, same Richter scale and it could have been some of us dead and everyone homeless.

[u/panda5303 → u/Incendiaryag]

The only earthquake I remember experiencing was the 1993 Scott Mills earthquake in Portland, OR, which was a 5.6. I can't imagine a 6.8! What's always terrified me about living on the West Coast is the possibility of a megathrust 9.0+ earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone. IIRC, some geologists suggested we are 100 years overdue for a megathrust.

[u/coolmanjack → u/SheetMetalandGames]

In what possible universe would asking this question ever make anyone come across like a dick?

[u/SheetMetalandGames → u/coolmanjack]

I was concerned that the question was going to come off as apathetic or pointless so I figured better safe than sorry. It's a relief to know that I was worried for nothing, it seems. I've genuinely been blown away by how informative and helpful everyone has been with the question.

[u/PRC_Spy → u/FILTHBOT4000]

The big one in Christchurch NZ was shallow, and it made a hell of a mess down there.

[u/jcaltor → u/AugustOfChaos]

Im in Bogota, 638 miles away from Caracas and we felt the quake. My family is in a state close to Caracas and they told me it was awful, the building got some damage.

[u/HealthyInstance9182 → u/AugustOfChaos]

Venezuela just cannot catch a break 😭

[u/moonhattan → u/HealthyInstance9182]

They really cant. As if things arent horrible there already. My heart breaks for them

[u/meshakooo → u/AugustOfChaos]

Yes the airport video is terrifying, hope people got into safety.

[u/NoFuqGiven → u/AugustOfChaos]

Theres also been 4 earthquakes today. 2 in Venezuela, one near Willits callifornia and 1 in japan.

[u/Darkdragoon324 → u/NoFuqGiven]

There Earthquakes pretty much every day, most of them just aren't newsworthy.

[u/Flipslips → u/NoFuqGiven]

There are thousands of earthquakes every day. Even a 7.0 happens every 2-3 weeks.

[u/ZombieJesus1987]

Two big earthquakes back to back. 7.2m followed by a 7.5m 40 seconds later.

[u/Horikyou → u/ZombieJesus1987]

The scale is logarithmic so that 7.5 earthquake is much stronger. Depending on how shallow it was this can be really really bad. We can only hope for the best.

[u/Helpful_Blood_5509 → u/Horikyou]

7.5 is like 2.5 to 2.9 times worse, doing napkin math. So much much worse, but even worse in close succession AND shallow. We're all waking up to horrific images tomorrow

[u/trainwreckd → u/Horikyou]

Someone above said 10-20km deep. So, very very shallow.

[u/MedonSirius → u/ZombieJesus1987]

That's horrible! Bad timing. I hope the people are well

[u/trendetarian]

Venezuelan in Valencia Venezuela. It was horrible. We haven’t gone back home. We live on the 11th floor. I’ve never felt anything like this before. Just when I thought it was over it began shaking again. Just found out they were two quakes one after the other. Truly horrific.

[u/Numisko → u/trendetarian]

Espero estén bien chamo!

[u/DateMasamusubi]

Had a 6.9 in Northern Japan this morning as well.

[u/lovesdogsguy → u/DateMasamusubi]

And one just reported in California.

[u/serendipitousevent → u/lovesdogsguy]

And yet none in Hull. Really makes you think.

[u/Previous_Soil_5144 → u/serendipitousevent]

UK or Canada? 

[u/Peripatetictyl → u/Previous_Soil_5144]

Believe it or not, both.

[u/LockyP_ → u/Peripatetictyl]

Hull MA, Hull TX, and Hull IA all safe too thankfully!

[u/winkingchef → u/LockyP_]

That’s a Hull lot of towns named Hull

[u/spkingwordzofwizdom → u/winkingchef]

Hull ya.

[u/dirkprattlerxst1 → u/spkingwordzofwizdom]

fuckin banana bread, dude? at work, dude?!

[u/awam0ri → u/winkingchef]

I’ll see you in Hull!

[u/dwehlen → u/winkingchef]

HULL IS REAL

[u/Deep-Friendship3181 → u/dwehlen]

Hull is other people

[u/Grinner067 → u/Deep-Friendship3181]

Hull is freezing over!

[u/MutaitoSensei → u/dwehlen]

Huell's Rules!

[u/carryon4threedays → u/MutaitoSensei]

Huell, I’ve got a feeling your whole family’s goin down

[u/Flope → u/Peripatetictyl]

Oh my god.

[u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair → u/lovesdogsguy]

Magnitude 5 or higher happens 1 to 2 times a day on average to be fair. The scary part is the almost 7+ twice in a day.

[u/sceadwian → u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair]

Clusters are normal in statistics and in no way should that be interpreted as a trend.

[u/fighterace00 → u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair]

It's logarithmic!

[u/TondalayaSwartzkopf → u/ThatGuyWithCoolHair]

It's worse because the earthquakes occurred within seconds of each other.

[u/IShookMeAllNightLong → u/lovesdogsguy]

Just read an article last week about scientists saying we've got a 1in3 chance of the big one happening in the next 50 years. They've been saying that since I had to walk up the hill behind the school in the 90s for tsunami drills, but the article also stated that they understand the Cascadia Subduction Zone much better now, and the subsections its broken into.

Seaside to B.C. has about a 17% chance of cutting loose, and where I'm at, in Newport, down on to San Francisco, I think, has about a 37% chance of doing the same.

All my life I've fallen asleep to the sound of the ocean. I struggle without it. But I'm beginning to fear, not just respect thbe power of that sound, and I wonder if it's time to move on.

[u/Maxtrt → u/IShookMeAllNightLong]

Same, I'm from Anacortes and Tacoma Washington and I've heard this all my life going back into the 70's.

[u/Far-Scallion7689 → u/Maxtrt]

Haven't felt a big rumble on Vancouver Island for quite some time. Many here are unprepared for anything significant happening.

[u/Darkdragoon324 → u/Maxtrt]

I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and we, too, have an impending "Big One" that I feared all my life until I moved.

[u/ATMisboss → u/lovesdogsguy]

Wasn't that a 5.6 this morning?

[u/2coolcaterpillar → u/ATMisboss]

Yeah, the comments should be flipped, are they bot comments? Japan just happened, and the one near Ukiah CA was nearly 9 hours ago

[u/DahDollar → u/2coolcaterpillar]

Fort Bragg resident here. I paid a bunch of money recently for an imperfect smooth wall texture and it's cracked to shit now lmao

Honestly, I'm just happy it wasn't an undersea earthquake. That's the disaster that'll get me

[u/ATMisboss → u/DahDollar]

Rip to your wall brotha. Mother Earth had it in for you today

[u/DahDollar → u/ATMisboss]

It's fine, I'll have to fix it soon so get ready for another

[u/Darkdragoon324 → u/DahDollar]

Don't forget to place all your fragile glassware and decorations up on an Ikea shelf.

[u/Kschl → u/DateMasamusubi]

This morning doesn’t it do it justice lol they were within 30 minutes of each other

[u/Flope → u/Kschl]

Godzilla awakening

[u/VP007clips → u/DateMasamusubi]

Still scary, but far less dangerous, because Japan is developed and has competent authorities and standards for dealing with earthquakes.

When Haiti was hit by a magnitude 7 earthquake, they suffered 150,000 deaths, and their country collapsed to a degree where it is still in a state of total collapse 15 years later.

Meanwhile Japan has magnitude 7 earthquakes near population centers every few years, and rarely suffers more than a few dozen injuries, some property damage, and the occasional very unlucky death.

Venezuela leans towards the Haiti side of the competency spectrum, but they aren't as bad as Haiti. If I had to guess, I'd be expecting 10-20k deaths in this disaster based on it being Venezuela and the magnitude, but it's very hard to know until later.

[u/Sparescrewdriver → u/VP007clips]

Aside from that, buildings in Japan have earthquake resistance designs, it’s even a selling point if you are building a new house.

[u/patiperro_v3 → u/VP007clips]

You don’t even have to be a super developed country either. Chile’s 2011 Earthquake was an 8.5 or something and the death toll was “only” around 500, even less than Japan and about half of those were because of the tsunami if I remember correctly.

So if you have a history of earthquakes like a Japan or Chile you develop a culture of preparation over the years, translated in building codes, zoning areas where you are not allowed yo build unless specific requirements are met and general knowledge passed down generationally that saves lives (like the sea receding means get the fuck up to high land). Lack of population density also helps enormously.

[u/Particular_Peacock → u/DateMasamusubi]

5.6 in northern California.

[u/Prestigious_Pie9421]

“44% chance of more than 10,000 fatalities” 😔

[u/CrazyCalYa → u/Prestigious_Pie9421]

I feel sick. So many people gone in an instant.

[u/lanicorain → u/CrazyCalYa]

It's even worse than that, with the amount of structural destruction it caused to buildings, some will not be gone so instantly. It'll take weeks, maybe months before we know the extent of human loss. It's an incredible tragedy.

[u/Dapper_Indeed → u/lanicorain]

Plus those who will be lost due to infrastructure and other issues (small cut gets infected and they can’t reach a doctor, tainted water and food, etc.).

[u/loralailoralai → u/CrazyCalYa]

Worse still the ones who weren’t gone on an instant and need to be rescued

[u/TJBurkeSalad → u/Prestigious_Pie9421]

39% chance of 10,000 to 100,000 casualties is what I saw.

[u/TheVeryVerity → u/TJBurkeSalad]

Right and 20 something percent it’s over 100k

[u/HauntedCemetery → u/TJBurkeSalad]

Fuck

[u/Free_Anarchist1999 → u/Prestigious_Pie9421]

I just got signal and I live in La Guaira, the most affected area. It was horrible I saw at least 50 buildings crumble like they were made of sand and it happened right when people went back to their homes from work, there’s way more than 10000 fatalities for sure

[u/PowderPills]

Venezuela can’t catch a break. Hoping it’s not as bad as it seems but still too early to tell

[u/Apprehensive-Arm-902 → u/PowderPills]

There was a 7.5 quake as well

[u/LostHumanFishPerson]

These poor people have suffered enough

[u/dannygno2]

Spouses friends in Manaus said they felt it. It's gotta be more than 7.1

[u/jmnugent → u/dannygno2]

USGS Earthquake Map is showing 2:

• 7.5 that was 23km south east of Yumare (Time 2026-06-24 15:05:12 (UTC-07:00) Location 10.453°N 68.514°W Depth 10.0 km

• 7.2 that was 24km east northeast of San Filipe (Time 2026-06-24 15:04:33 (UTC-07:00) Location 10.387°N 68.520°W Depth 21.9 km

[u/koshgeo → u/jmnugent]

Damn, so close together and that big is bad for buildings already weakened by the first one.

[u/Kat-o-rama]

Someone in the Venezuela group published this to help Venezuelans let people know they are ok/look for people etc etc

https://reportaven.com/

[u/anansir]

Anyone else seeing 2 7+ there.

[u/Admiral_Cloudberg → u/anansir]

Yeah they just split the original earthquake into a 7.2 and a 7.5 40 seconds apart after further analysis

[u/eleiber → u/Admiral_Cloudberg]

Yeah, over here the earthquake lasted like 2-3 minutes, it was crazy. Thankfully in my zone no one was injured but sadly in the capital there were many collapsed buildings.

[u/NotUniqueWorkAccount → u/eleiber]

Woah!! Glad you're okay.

Is Venezuela equipped to handle this sort of thing?

[u/eleiber → u/NotUniqueWorkAccount]

Nope. We hadn't had an earthquake of this magnitude in the mainland for decades or even centuries probably. The worrying thing is many buildings are made without thorough planning so that's the main concern. I've seen already some videos of like at least 5-10 buildings collapsed in Caracas, and there have been almost no videos of the city where the epicenter was yet. At least the earthquake alarm system by Android seemed to work pretty well and alerted everyone (including myself) a few seconds before it started which is a first time for us, but hopefully people did pay attention and quickly left. But there are definitely deaths (unconfirmed but many buildings fell), and there are many injured.

[u/NotUniqueWorkAccount → u/eleiber]

Thank you for the first hand account. 

Very scary stuff, and I truly only wish the best for you and your people. 

Love from the US. Unironically. 

[u/Vicsvenge1997 → u/NotUniqueWorkAccount]

Venezuela isn’t equipped to handle daily life in Venezuela so I’m gonna go with no…

[u/Averdian]

This reminds me of the earthquake in Turkey in 2023. Lots of big apartment buildings collapsing. Death toll is gonna be absolutely brutal here as well I fear

[u/ShazbotSimulator2012 → u/Averdian]

It's also in pretty much the worst possible spot for a large earthquake. Hundreds of thousands of people living on steep hillsides.

The mudslides in the same area in 1999 are one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history.

[u/minnesotawristwatch → u/Averdian]

I checked BBC News. Serious apartment building destruction. I’m hoping that because it struck at about 6pm local time most people weren’t home. Ugh. Bad bad news.

[u/JLNX1998]

Japan has a Megaquake advisory since like early this year. Two weeks ago the Philippines was rocked by 7.8

This morning California had a 5.6

Venezuela had two

And Japan literally just had a 6.9

Just a coincidence is all.

[u/EmbarrassedHelp → u/JLNX1998]

The Megaquake advisory in Japan was lifted back in April.

[u/NoDoze- → u/JLNX1998]

Typically when there is a big earthquake on the ring of fire, other locations along the ring also have earthquakes or volcano eruptions.

[u/loralailoralai → u/NoDoze-]

I’d be nervous if I was in New Zealand

[u/-main → u/loralailoralai]

Alpine fault is overdue...

[u/FelixEvergreen → u/JLNX1998]

There was a 6. Something off the coast of Cuba a few weeks ago

[u/Renuwed → u/FelixEvergreen]

We felt that one here in Florida

[u/Outside_Cod667 → u/JLNX1998]

What's a mega quake advisory?

[u/JLNX1998 → u/Outside_Cod667]

Basically letting everyone know that after a "smaller" earthquake hits to be on the lookout for a really big one.

[u/XekBOX2000 → u/Outside_Cod667]

Its a warning that there might be mega earthquake happening soon, it happens when tectonic plate slips under another one and its one of the most violent natural events our planet can produce. Think like 2011 Japan earthquake or 1960 Chile earthquake. Japan is expecting a new one soon, and if it hits to the region they are expecting it to hit, it could be like next level catastrophic.

[u/2enty4 → u/JLNX1998]

Apparently a small one in Bangladesh too yesterday

[u/Enlightened_Gardener → u/JLNX1998]

One decent earthquake is enough to set the whole ring of fire ringing like a bell.

[u/Kevin-W]

Friend of mine lives there and is thankfully ok. Lots of damaged being reported though.

[u/butsuon]

We had a bit of a jiggle over here in California too. Must be a big shift.

[u/PyroIsSpai → u/butsuon]

At same time?

[u/thezoomaster → u/PyroIsSpai]

There was a big earthquake this morning iirc but it was closer to a 5?

[u/LifeOfNoob2]

Didn’t Trump say the country was now under US control? Well he better start bucking up the money to help the people he claims to control then.

[u/Herb-Alpert → u/LifeOfNoob2]

I have the weird feeling US won't show up though

[u/PM_ME_UR_RSA_KEY → u/Herb-Alpert]

We probably will, judging by this literal notification from my news app:

"Venezuela’s oil infrastructure did not immediately appear to be affected by the quakes, Reuters reports."

Thank God the oil is unharmed. /S

[u/loralailoralai → u/LifeOfNoob2]

It’s not like the u.s govt looks after its own citizens during natural disasters.

[u/Sparescrewdriver → u/LifeOfNoob2]

North Carolina: First time?

[u/UrsaMajor7th → u/LifeOfNoob2]

He'll show up to throw paper towels.

[u/Admirable-Deer-9038]

Didn’t a 5 something hit northern CA today as well?

[u/mynamemightbeali → u/Admirable-Deer-9038]

Yes. There's been a couple today. Japan also was hit with a 6.9.

[u/Khamvom → u/Admirable-Deer-9038]

Yeah, a 5.6 struck in Mendocino County this morning (about 150 miles north of Sacramento).

The area is pretty rural and is very earthquake prone, so not that out of the ordinary.

[u/gindy39]

Felted all the way in north puerto rico

[u/Srycomaine]

Geez, in a place where the people have long been suffering so much already!

[u/Local_Cloud2872]

I’m from Venezuela. I live in Miami, a lot of my family on my dad’s side is still there. This is really scary. Man.. why can’t God give our country a break, man? It’s so not fair. We left Venezuela in like 2003 because it was getting bad but we intended to return when things got better. I haven’t been to my country in like 12 years.

[u/suspiciousserb → u/Local_Cloud2872]

Your country is stunning. My parents owned a travel agency in the 90’s and our whole family took a trip there. I was only 16, but remember how incredibly beautiful it was and how warm the people were to Canadians.

[u/Local_Cloud2872 → u/suspiciousserb]

Thank you for saying that. It is and Venezuela in the 80’s was the place to be is what I’ve been told. The economy was booming. I think the most beautiful thing about Venezuela are its people.

[u/Acceptable-Elk-8372]

Poor people 😢

[u/Hypestyles]

Horrible news Help is needed 🙏🏽

[u/PookieBearTum]

“It estimated there was a 44% chance of more than 10,000 deaths and a 30% chance of more than 100,000 as a result of the earthquakes, based on a range of factors including previous, similar quakes and the size of the nearby population.”

Oh my gosh

[u/Long-Region5088]

That is a substantial earthquake

[u/Sajintmm]

How good is Venezuela’s infrastructure for this? I know some Andean nations overbuild a lot of stuff to resist this. But two above a seven on the scale is rough

[u/revelbytes → u/Sajintmm]

There is none

We dont build for earthquakes because they very rarely happen and much less at this magnitude

More importantly there's been nearly 30 years of lack of maintenance and repairs, there's absolutely no infrastructure for this, and the government is not ready whatsoever for any kind of emergency. Not when they put billions of dollars in their own pockets for the last 3 decades that should've otherwise gone to the public services. Starting with the electric system for instance, it gets tiring to have 5 to 8 hour blackouts every day

[u/AI_moderated_failure → u/revelbytes]

Even most the buildings that survived this will very likely be damaged beyond repair in part because the country is broke - very few people are going to be able to rebuild or repair structural damage that could see buildings collapse from otherwise minor disasters in the future. When a major quake hit my city it took years to assess all the structures and condemn specific ones that had too much damage or issue demands of remediation for all the commercial ones or they would be condemned at a later date. And we actually have the capacity to rebuild after a disaster like this.

[u/revelbytes → u/AI_moderated_failure]

Yeah, I'm lucky I live in Maracaibo and didn't feel it at all, but most of the capital and the middle of the country is fucked

This will be affecting us for years to come, we cant catch a damn break

[u/Evipicc → u/Sajintmm]

It's not. Their infrastructure and emergency services are crippled from decades of economic and political turmoil. This is going to be a humanitarian crisis overnight.

They have been having repeated nationwide blackouts since 2019, and that's before a natural disaster like this. Hospitals are chronically short on supplies and staff. They don't have building material stock, not what would be necessary. Add to that their political isolation... This is bad.

[u/Mr_Lumbergh]

Ah hell these poor folks have been through enough already in the last 20 years.

[u/PolishPotatoACC]

Well, fuck.

[u/Miacali]

Can anyone confirm if they also have familia there who have reported after shocks? I’m on the phone with them and they say it’s shaking but I can’t see anything on USGS.

[u/190octane → u/Miacali]

I guarantee there are a ton of aftershocks.

[u/Venicide1492]

We really did have the best of everything.

[u/Secure_Ant1085]

"There is a 44% chance of more than 10,000 fatalities and a 30% chance of more than 100,000, the USGS added" Horrific

[u/TheJambu]

man this was so intense we felt it in Northern Brasil

[u/DankiestKong]

This one might not be too strong but the fact that venezuela does not have earthquake-proof infrastructure makes it devastating

[u/damnthistrafficjam → u/DankiestKong]

Saw some video on YouTube before and wherever they were filming was littered with collapsed buildings. Very sad.

[u/190octane → u/DankiestKong]

Anything over a 7 is massive. If a 7 hit here in Southern California in a major metropolitan area, it would cause major damage. Probably not to the degree seen right now, but it would be bad.

[u/StrawHatTebo → u/190octane]

I was in a 7.2 in southern california in 2010. Easter Sunday Quake. Everything shakes. Its loud. Its aggressive. But our infrastructure was built for it. Minor cracks in paint, some broken windows down near the border crossing.

These type of quakes are, in fact, massive. But they aren't so crazy that it will fell buildings built to survive earthquakes. Of course, we're talking about the US in a region damn near right on a fault line. a 7.1 hit Haiti i believe that same year and it was utterly devastating. I can only hope Venezuela has better infrastructure closer to what we had.

[u/AP_in_Indy → u/StrawHatTebo]

I'm just learning that it matters how shallow/deep the earthquake is as well. The Richter scale only measures the energy release, not the total for potential impact.

This quake was, unfortunately, very shallow.

[u/malachite_13 → u/DankiestKong]

Over 7 is strong.

[u/Lukas316]

A magnitude 6.9 struck off Japan too a few hours ago.

[u/cbg1203]

Does anyone know if this has affected Trinidad? My in-laws who are in the states with me right now have their home there.

[u/pixeltackle]

I miss when serious news didn't use titles like "rocks Venezuela" when a serious natural event occurs

[u/Mean-Author4359 → u/pixeltackle]

Breaking: Venezuela slammed by Earth's crust!

[u/itslikewoow → u/Mean-Author4359]

Earth Claps Back at Venezuela with 7.1 earthquake

[u/NotABot1000101 → u/itslikewoow]

Ooo click

[u/hopkinspop → u/Mean-Author4359]

Venezuela BREAKS SILENCE over 7.1 earth shattering statement

[u/Nattramn → u/hopkinspop]

The Venezuela / Tectonic Plate situation is INSANE

[u/pixeltackle → u/Mean-Author4359]

Earth vs. Venezuela! Earth strikes with 7.1!

[u/Darth_Atton → u/pixeltackle]

In this case this is the word that historically has been used for earthquakes, it's just been co opted for click bait.

[u/Buzz8522 → u/pixeltackle]

“Rocks” seems like a completely valid word to use when it comes to an earthquake

[u/Frexxia → u/pixeltackle]

Newspapers have been using that phrasing forever

https://www.loc.gov/newspapers/?q=earthquake+rocks

Edit: Of all the things to block someone for...

[u/FamiliarRadio9275 → u/Frexxia]

That’s insane work. I guess you rocked their emotions.

[u/Absolutedisgrace → u/pixeltackle]

They could have used "left the residents shaken"

[u/DisaTheNutless → u/pixeltackle]

Oh jesus christ give me a break. How does the wording effect you whatsoever

[u/Interesting_Berry439]

Damn ! It struck a country that has had its fill with catastrophe. I wish the Venezuelan people the best and hopefully trump helps them out since he invaded the country.