Emergency shelter capacity estimation by earthquake damage analysis

Taiwan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire and thus experiences many detectable earthquakes annually. The damage resulting from these earthquakes affects the government and local citizens financially and endangers lives. As the political and economic capital of Taiwan, Taipei has a high population density. Assessing the seismic effects in Taipei, therefore, is a crucial issue requiring immediate attention. In this study, Taiwan Earthquake Loss Estimation System (TELES) software for analyzing potential earthquakes was used to simulate earthquake events at potential faults in the Taipei area. The TELES analysis theory was used to analyze seismic events and to predict building damage and displacement of citizens in each Taipei administrative district. The analytical results are then compared with the capacity of temporary shelters currently planned by the government. Finally, our conclusions and recommendations are presented. Hopefully, the results of this study can provide a useful reference for relevant organizations when developing earthquake disaster prevention policies. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013