00:00How prepared are our homes for an earthquake?
00:02Colombia has spent decades building an answer to this question, which resurfaced on August 10.
00:08The answer has two sides.
00:09The first one is the good news.
00:11The country has an earthquake-resistant building code, the NSR10,
00:15which divides the territory into high, intermediate and low seismic hazard zones.
00:19Cities like Manizales, Pereira, Cali, and Armenia are in a high-altitude zone.
00:23Bogotá and Medellín in the intermediate zone.
00:25That classification determines how much is required of a building.
00:28the materials, the dimensions of columns and beams,
00:31the systems it must have to dissipate the energy of an earthquake.
00:34And the standard does not require the same for all types of buildings.
00:37Hospitals, fire stations, and power plants, for example,
00:40They have to meet stricter requirements than an ordinary home,
00:44precisely because they must remain standing and functioning after an earthquake.
00:47Schools and community centers also have higher standards.
00:51to those of an average house or apartment.
00:53Something important.
00:54The standard does not aim to ensure that a building emerges unscathed from an earthquake.
00:57What he's looking for is something more fundamental.
00:59Don't let it collapse.
01:00So that the people inside can get out.
01:02The second side is more uncomfortable.
01:04One in three homes built in Colombia between 2005 and 2018 was of informal origin.
01:10Without a license, without engineering design, without technical supervision.
01:13And in several large cities, more than half of the physical growth has occurred exactly like this.
01:18What does this mean in practice?
01:19Experts identify mistakes that are repeated time and time again in informal construction.
01:24The most common one.
01:25Brick walls erected without columns or confinement beams.
01:28If you go through any working-class neighborhood in the country, you might see it.
01:32Just the wall and the plaque.
01:33Nothing to support it against a strong movement.
01:35Added to that is the use of unsuitable materials.
01:38Non-structural bricks.
01:39Poorly sewn hollow blocks.
01:41Mortar mixtures with little cement.
01:43Columns that do not continue from one floor to the next.
01:46And a very common problem.
01:47Homes originally designed for one or two levels, which over the years became
01:51They add four, five or six more floors, without any major structural calculations.
01:56There is another risk that few people know about: structural impact.
01:58This occurs when two adjacent buildings do not have adequate separation space.
02:02and end up colliding with each other during an earthquake.
02:05And the danger doesn't always come from the walls that support the building.
02:08One of the main causes of death in an earthquake is facades and dividing walls.
02:12that are not anchored to the structure.
02:14They fall outwards, towards the street, towards where the agenda is.
02:17The terrain also matters.
02:18Some informal housing is built on unimproved landfill or wetlands
02:22suitable soil.
02:23An unstable foundation multiplies the damage when the ground moves.
02:2783% of Colombians live in areas of high seismic risk.
02:31This is not a minor detail.
02:32This means that most families in the country are exposed, and that the most vulnerable are at risk.
02:36They are precisely the ones that have the fewest resources to build well.
02:40Now, if your home was affected, there is something important you should know.
02:43In Colombia there are more than 2.2 million properties insured against earthquakes.
02:47Of those, more than 442,000 are in the municipalities most affected by the earthquake.
02:52If you are paying for your house or apartment on credit, it is very likely that in each payment
02:56the bank already includes the payment of insurance.
02:59It's worth checking.
03:00How do I activate that insurance?
03:01First, do not enter a building that appears unstable.
03:04Safety comes first.
03:06Always.
03:06Second, only document the damage with photographs or videos if you can do so without risk.
03:12Third, contact your insurer directly through their official channels.
03:16phone line, website or application.
03:18Beware of using intermediaries.
03:20Fourth, follow the company's instructions before making any permanent repairs.
03:24or discard damaged items.
03:26Acting prematurely may affect your claim.
03:29The insurance association Fasecolda has already activated its service protocols to guide the
03:33affected and coordinate the sector's response.
03:35The earthquake reminds us that living in a seismically active country is not an abstraction.
03:40It is a reality that demands better construction, more control over informality, and when
03:45The damage has already been done; we need to know exactly what happened to move forward.
03:48Your policy can be an important safety net right now.
03:52Check if you have it.
03:53And if you have it, use it.
03:54If you want to know how the earthquake response is still developing, you can consult
03:58The Economy section of El Espectador and also follow us on our social networks.
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