Taiwan's seismic geography has changed since a massive tremor in April. The government is warning of increased seismic activity in the country's southwest.
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00:00Life is changing for residents here in southern Taiwan.
00:04They're more aware of the unstable ground beneath them.
00:07This year, they've experienced double the number of usual quakes.
00:23Taiwan is no stranger to earthquakes sitting on the boundary of two tectonic plates.
00:28But this has become a new seismic hotspot.
00:31Eight months ago, a 7.2 magnitude quake hit Taiwan's east coast,
00:36killing 18 people and causing major damage.
00:39It also altered Taiwan's seismic geography.
00:42Previously stable faults in areas like Chiayi in Tainan in the southwest
00:47are becoming more active.
00:59To mitigate disasters, Taiwan's government has relied on a state-of-the-art
01:03earthquake monitoring and alert system.
01:05And it's now officially flagging this region as a new sensitive area,
01:10urging locals to stay alert and follow building codes.
01:29Sitting on the Pacific Rim of fire,
01:32Taiwan cannot avoid the dangers of earthquakes.
01:35But its strictly adhered to safety practices,
01:38including holding preparedness drills,
01:41prevented greater loss of life during previous disasters.
01:45And while it remains difficult to accurately predict
01:48when an earthquake will hit Taiwan,
01:50it's a good thing that Taiwan's government
01:52is working with the local government
01:55And while it remains difficult to accurately predict a quake,
01:59residents here will have to get used to their new geographical reality,
02:03where there is now more seismic activity than they've handled before.
02:07Joseph Wu and Rick Lowatt for Taiwan Plus.