U.S. flag
        An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
              
              A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
              A **lock** (  A locked padlock
) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. https://www.nist.gov/el/earthquake-kobe-japan-1995
  Search NIST
    Search
              Menu

      


Close
    Topics
        All Topics
                                                        Advanced communications
                                                        Artificial intelligence
                                                        Bioscience
                                                        Buildings and construction
                                                        Chemistry
                                                        Climate
                                                        Cybersecurity
                                                        Electronics
                                                        EnergyEnvironment
                                                        Fire
                                                        Forensic science
                                                        Health
                                                        Information technology
                                                        Infrastructure
                                                        Manufacturing
                                                        Materials
                                                        Mathematics and statisticsMetrology
                                                        Nanotechnology
                                                        Neutron research
                                                        Performance excellence
                                                        Physics
                                                        Public safety
                                                        Resilience
                                                        Standards
                                                        Transportation
            Publications
            Labs & Major Programs
        Laboratories
                                Communications Technology Laboratory
                                  Engineering Laboratory
                                  Information Technology Laboratory
                                  Material Measurement Laboratory
                                  Physical Measurement LaboratoryUser Facilities
                                NIST Center for Neutron Research
                                  CNST NanoFab
                                                        Research Test Beds
                                                        Research Projects
                                                        Tools & InstrumentsMajor Programs
                                Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
                                  CHIPS for America Initiative
                                  Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
                                  Office of Advanced Manufacturing
                                  Special Programs Office
                                  Technology Partnerships Office
            Services & Resources
        Standards and Measurements
                                Calibration Services
                                  Laboratory Accreditation (NVLAP)
                                  Quality System
                                  Standard Reference Materials (SRMs)
                                  Standards.gov
                                  Time Services
                                  Office of Weights and MeasuresSoftware
                                                        Data
                                Chemistry WebBook
                                  National Vulnerability Database
                                  Physical Reference Data
                                  Standard Reference Data (SRD)
                                                        Storefront
                                                        License & PatentsComputer Security Resource Center (CSRC)
                                                        NIST Research Library
            News & Events
        News
                                                        Events
                                                        Blogs
                                                        Feature Stories
                                                        AwardsVideo Gallery
                                                        Image Gallery
                                                        Media Contacts
            About NIST
        About Us
                                Leadership
                                  Organization Structure
                                  Budget & Planning
                                                        Contact Us
                                                        Visit
                                                        Careers
                                Student programsWork with NIST
                                                        History
                                NIST Digital Archives
                                  NIST Museum
                                  NIST and the Nobel
                                                        Educational Resources
 
 Engineering Laboratory
    
      
  About EL
                            Expand or Collapse
          Careers
                      Divisions & Offices
                      Research Opportunities
                      Research Facilities
                      Staff & Organization
                      Standards Activities
                      Contact Us
          Goals & Programs
                            Expand or Collapse
          Advanced Manufacturing
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Measurement Science for Additive Manufacturing
                                  Measurement Science for Manufacturing Robotics
                                  Advanced Manufacturing Data Infrastructure and Analytics
                      Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Manufacturing, Materials, and Infrastructure
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Embedded Intelligence in Buildings
                                  Net-Zero Energy, High-Performance Buildings
                                                                Expand or Collapse
                      Current Activities
                      Disaster-Resilient Buildings, Infrastructure, and Communities
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Community Resilience
                                  Earthquake Risk Reduction in Buildings and Infrastructure
                                  Engineered Materials for Resilient Infrastructure
                                  Fire Risk Reduction in Buildings
                                  Fire Risk Reduction in Communities
                                  Structural Performance under Multi-hazards
          Products & Services
                            Expand or Collapse
          Extramural Grants Program
                      Research Information Service
                      Software
                      Tools & Instruments
          Staff Directory
          Popular Links
                            Expand or Collapse
          Applied Economics Office
                      Resilience
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Disaster Resilience Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)
                      Fire.gov
                      NFRL
                      Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility



  Connect with us
      
      GovDeliveryEarthquake Kobe Japan 1995

Share
  Facebook
                      Linkedin
                      Twitter
                      Email

Earthquake Kobe Japan 1995    The January 17, 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu earthquake of magnitude 7.2 in JMA scale (Mw = 6.9), which struck Kobe, Japan and its surrounding area was the most severe earthquake to affect that region this century. The earthquake resulted in more than 6,000 deaths and over 30,000 injuries. Fires following the earthquake incinerated the equivalent of 70 U.S. city blocks. They together destroyed over 150,000 buildings and left about 300,000 people homeless. The economic loss as a result of this earthquake is estimated to reach $200 billion.    An investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Panel on Wind and Seismic Effects of the U.S.-Japan Program in Natural Resources to observe, document, and summarize important lessons from this earthquake that can be used to mitigate the potentially tragic impact of future earthquakes on modern urbanized communities. An 18-member team was in Japan from February 12 to February 18, 1995 to study seismology, geology, and geotechnical effects; as well as the performance of buildings, lifelines, and fire safety systems. This document summarizes the information collected during, as well as following, this investigation. Key findings of the investigation include needs for research and for improvements in practices to achieve earthquake loss reduction in the United States.    Details are included in the report, "**January 17, 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu (Kobe) Earthquake: Performance of Structures, Lifelines, and Fire Protection Systems* (NIST SP 901)*."
  Disaster and failure studies and Earthquake risk reduction

    
    Created June 1, 2011, Updated January 6, 2017
 HEADQUARTERS
            100 Bureau Drive
              Gaithersburg, MD 20899301-975-2000
            Webmaster | Contact Us | Our Other Offices
        Twitter
            
Facebook
            
LinkedIn
            
Instagram
            
YouTube
            
Giphy
            
RSS Feed
            
Mailing List
                              How are we doing? Feedback

  
  Site Privacy
                      Accessibility
                      Privacy Program
                      Copyrights
                      Vulnerability Disclosure
                      No Fear Act Policy
                      FOIA
                      Environmental Policy
                      Scientific Integrity
                      Information Quality Standards
                      Commerce.gov
                      Science.gov
                      USA.gov
                      Vote.gov