1999 Jiji earthquake
Earthquake damage in Dali District, Taichung | |
| UTC time | 1999-09-20 17:47:16 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 1718616 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 21 September 1999 |
| Local time | 01:47:12 local time |
| Magnitude | 7.7 Mw 7.3 ML |
| Depth | 33 km (20.5 mi) |
| Epicenter | Jiji (Chi-Chi), Nantou, Taiwan 23°46′19″N 120°58′55″E / 23.772°N 120.982°E |
| Areas affected | Taiwan |
| Total damage | 51,711 buildings destroyed, 53,768 buildings damaged |
| Max. intensity | CWA 7 (MMI X) |
| Peak acceleration | 1.92 g |
| Peak velocity | 318 cm/s |
| Casualties | 2,415 dead, 11,305 injured, 29 missing |
The Chi-Chi earthquake (later also known as the Jiji earthquake, 921 Earthquake, or the great earthquake of September 21), was a 7.3 ML or 7.7 Mw earthquake which occurred in Jiji (Chi-Chi), Nantou County, Taiwan on 21 September 1999 at 01:47:12 local time. 2,415 people were killed, 11,305 injured, and NT$300 billion worth of damage was done. It is the second-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history, after the 1935 Shinchiku-Taichū earthquake.
Rescue groups from around the world joined local relief workers and the Taiwanese military in digging out survivors, clearing rubble, restoring essential services and distributing food and other aid to the more than 100,000 people made homeless by the quake. The disaster, dubbed the "Quake of the Century" by the local media, had a profound effect on the economy of the island and the consciousness of the people, and dissatisfaction with the government's performance in reacting to it was cited by a Taiwanese sociologist as a factor in the unseating of the ruling Kuomintang party in the 2000 presidential election.
Every year on September 21 at 9:21 AM, a drill message is sent to all mobile phones through the Public Warning System in the form of a national alert.