The Mw5.4 Zagreb (Croatia) earthquake of March 22, 2020: impacts and response (original) (raw)

This paper highlights the principal features of the Mw5.4 Zagreb earthquake. Located within the city limits at a depth of 10 km, the earthquake generated a peak ground acceleration of more than 0.2 g and a maximum spectral acceleration of about 0.6 g at 0.1 s in the historic downtown area. The situation was particularly challenging since the event occurred amid a partial Covid-19 lockdown at temperatures close to 0 °C, emphasizing the extensive and complex vulnerability of the local communities and individuals. 27 people were reported severely injured, one of which later died. The surprisingly high economic costs, needed to achieve a full reconstruction of damaged buildings and infrastructure in the affected area, are currently evaluated at more than 10B euros. Description of the organization of the emergency response in the first days and the observed damage to buildings is given with typical examples. The focus is on the performance of older masonry residential and cultural herita...