What happens to people after an earthquake?

Hello, I'm an expert in disaster response and recovery. When an earthquake occurs, it can have a wide range of effects on people and their communities. Here's what typically happens: 1. Immediate Aftermath: People often experience shock and confusion. There may be injuries and fatalities, especially if buildings and infrastructure have collapsed. 2. Search and Rescue: Following the earthquake, there's an urgent need for search and rescue operations to find and help survivors who may be trapped under debris. 3. Medical Assistance: Medical teams provide aid to the injured, and hospitals may become overwhelmed with patients. 4. Shelter and Food: Displaced people need shelter, food, and clean water. Emergency services and aid organizations often step in to provide these necessities. 5. Infrastructure Damage: Earthquakes can cause significant damage to roads, bridges, and buildings, which can disrupt transportation and communication networks. 6. Aftershocks: As you mentioned, aftershocks are smaller tremors that follow the main earthquake. They can cause further damage and increase the risk of injury or death, as well as prolong the recovery process. 7. Economic Impact: The economic impact of an earthquake can be severe, with businesses disrupted or destroyed, and the cost of rebuilding can be substantial. 8. Psychological Effects: Earthquakes can have long-term psychological effects on survivors, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 9. Reconstruction: After the immediate needs are met, the focus shifts to rebuilding homes, businesses, and infrastructure. 10. Preparation for Future Events: Communities often reassess their preparedness and implement new building codes and emergency plans to mitigate the impact of future earthquakes.

In a mountainous terrain, landslides may occur and sometimes, small hills disappear or are levelled to the ground. A major earthquake is also followed by smaller tremors like an echo. These are called aftershocks. Aftershocks are smaller tremors that occur in the same fault area where the original quake took place.