Earthquake conversation questions

Earthquakes

 * Have you ever experienced an earthquake?
 * Does your country experience earthquakes?
 * How well do you think your house would resist an earthquake?
 * What causes earthquakes?
 * What is the epicentre of an earthquake?
 * Earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale /ˈrɪktər ˌskeɪl/. The Richter scale is logarithmic – what is a logarithmic scale?
 * When earthquakes or other natural disasters occur do you think it is the government’s responsibility to help people or is it better to donate money to NGO’s?
 * What international groups usually help out after such natural disasters?
 * If you had the appropriate skills would you personally go to help out after an earthquake?
 * If you feel an earthquake starting what should you do or where should you run?
 * Would you consider living in an earthquake-prone area like San Francisco?

Priorities
Those in charge of giving aid after earthquakes have to make very difficult decisions about priorities. Imagine that you are in charge of disaster response. Identify these activities as Top Priority, High Priority, Medium Priority and Low Priority. Try to put no more than four in the Top Priority category.


 * Open the schools
 * Set up temporary hospitals.
 * Give food to the hungry.
 * Import and distribute clean water to the living.
 * Restoring electricity.
 * Restoring the telephone service.
 * Identify the dead.
 * Bury the dead.
 * Set up temporary accommodation.
 * Get people out from the rubble.
 * Get the TV stations operating.
 * Establish law and order on the streets.
 * Make sure the banks are open.
 * Get newspapers distributed.
 * Rebuild communications infrastructure such as airports, ports and roads.
 * Hold elections to replace missing officials.