1948 Fukui earthquake

Overview

The earthquake devastated Fukui, which was still recovering from damage sustained during WWII air raids in July 1945. Damage across the entire Fukuiheiya flood plain into neighboring Ishikawa prefecture. Official casualty estimates totaled 3,769 dead and 22,000 wounded, with more than 36,000 buildings completely destroyed. In the Kanazugocho district (modern-day eastern Awara); Maruoka and Harue; and Yoshida District, nearly every building was leveled. In central Fukui city, which was adjacent to the epicenter, approximately 79% of structures were completely destroyed, while the overall destruction rate across the Fukuiheiya floodplain surpassed 60%. Fires caused by the earthquake compounded the destruction.

The quake also seriously damaged the embankments of the Kuzuryū River. Record-setting rain in the weeks following the quake subsequently caused the levees to burst, leading to massive flooding.

Although three years of war damage, earthquake damage, fire damage, and flood damage reduced the city to ashes, it continued to rebuild. In honor of the citizens' resilience, the Fukui citizen's charter proclaims Fukui "City of the Phoenix."

Geology

This earthquake was caused by a previously unknown strike-slip fault. The fault stretches from Kanazu to Fukui, with a length of 25 km, and was later named the "Fukui Earthquake Fault". Shaking was felt as far as Mito in the east, and Saga in the west.

Damage

As many people were cooking when the earthquake struck, many fires spread after the quake. Since the roads and the waterworks were damaged it took five days to put out the fires and so the fires caused devastating damage.

Even though the Daiwa Department Store collapsed, the Fukui Bank building right next to it had no significant damage. It is thought to have been because the Fukui Bank building had about 500 deep foundation pipes 10 meters deep in the ground.

Almost all of the farmers' houses in the epicenter area collapsed, but most of the farmers were outside so there were not many casualties.

Damage in Fukui City

Casualties

At the time, it was the deadliest earthquake after the Pacific War (now superseded by the Great Hanshin earthquake and the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami). This earthquake killed 3769 people, mainly in Sakai City (then part of Fukui City), where the death rate was more than 1%.

Property damage

• Maruoka Castle collapsed.
• Hosorogi Station and Kanazu Station (now Awaraonsen Station) collapsed.
• The Daiwa Department Store collapsed.
• A theater in Fukui collapsed and caught fire, killing a few hundred people.

Other

• Levees damaged by the earthquake and torrential rains caused Kuzuryū River to overflow.

Influence

• The Japan Meteorological Agency added Shindo 7 to the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale.

References

References

1. National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.. (1972). "Significant Earthquake Information". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
2. "気象庁 | 過去の地震・津波被害".
3. "福井県の地震活動の特徴 – 地震調査研究推進本部". Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion.
4. "石川県の地震活動の特徴 – 地震調査研究推進本部". Headquarters for Earthquake Research Promotion.
5. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716135729/http://www.seisvol.kishou.go.jp/cgi-bin/shindo_db.cgi?from_YYYY=1948&from_MM=01&from_DD=01&from_hh=00&from_mm=00&to_YYYY=1949&to_MM=01&to_DD=01&to_hh=24&to_mm=00&ORG_PID=24403&pref=40&minimum_shindo=7&station=9999999&max_count=5&PARAM_OK_DATE=%B8%A1%BA%F7%BC%C2%B9%D4 Japan Meteorological Agency] Shindo Database Search Retrieved August 16, 2008
6. (19 January 1995). "Jap Quake Death Toll Passes 4,000". The Vindicator.
7. (12 May 2005). "Rupture process of the 1948 Fukui earthquake ( M 7.1) from the joint inversion of seismic waveform and geodetic data". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.
8. "Archived copy".
9. 宇佐美龍夫『新編日本被害地震総覧』東京大学出版会、1987年
10. ISC. (2015). "ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009)". [[International Seismological Centre]].