Who

We Are
NEDP
Location of
We are the Northeastern Engineers for last severe
Disaster Protection, and our goal is to Boston area
earthquake
ensure a safe Boston in the event of a
natural disaster emergency. Good
engineering and smart planning will not
only save lives, but also save money and
Picture of downtown San Francisco after the
earthquake of 1906 time. Reactionary engineering can be
erratic, so preparation is key.
Problems That Would Occur
Earthquakes can do major damage to a
city, both logistically and to the physical
capital of Boston. Here are just a few:

Homes and apartments could be

destroyed, leaving many homeless


Schools and work buildings would suffer
damage and potentially collapse

Roads would be harmed, and potentially Contact Us

BOSTONS
closed or blocked by debris and floods Phone: 617-BOS-NEDP
Electrical grid problems would cause Email: bostonearthquakeplan@neu.edu
power outages and shutdowns

Fuel supply to the city would be halted or

MILLENIAL
EARTHQUAKE

slowed drastically

Hospitals would be overrun and

overcrowded with injured patients

Water supplies would be very limited or

How would Boston function in
contaminated as pipes burst
the aftermath of a once-in-a-
Looting could break out in your BOSTONS MILLENIAL thousand-years earthquake?
neighborhood EARTHQUAKE

 These problems are very real, and require
thoughtful solutions. These are some
solutions suggested by lead engineers in
industrial and electrical fields.

Logistics Solutions
Creating a Risk Priority Number for different
areas of Boston would help distinguish
which areas of Boston require immediate
assistance. Creating an efficient ambulance
routing problem would save lives and fuel. A
Covering Tour Problem would be useful for
distributing food and supplies to local
Earthquake disaster relief being implemented in
neighborhoods in desperate need. Effective Haiti (2010)
warehouse placement would shelter those
with nowhere to go.
Benefits of Implementing Solutions
Not only will implementing these solutions
The goal of emergency logistics is to result in saved lives and money, but it would

minimize the total number of fatalities benefit the city in the event a disaster never
This is the entire page of information that and the losses of properties, and insure occurs. Forcing the city to think about
cityofboston.gov has about earthquakes
its effectiveness and efficiency. Cai, efficient paths could be used on a daily basis.
Li, Yang
An Earthquake in Boston?
What you can do?
Living in Boston, we have come to expect
- Have a neighborhood meeting. Plan for a
natural disasters such as blizzards, Technology Solutions potential emergency and have a list of
snowstorms, flooding, and even an
Install backup generators in all hospitals in actionables in the case of an earthquake.
occasional tropical storm. However, the
the event that a power outage occurs to - Reach out to your local politician.
Boston region can expect a 5-6 magnitude
ensure that lives hanging in the balance are Pressure them to lobby for a city-wide
earthquake every century, and an above 6.0
not shorted. Look into using other types of plan and raise awareness on the issue.
earthquake every one thousand years. While
networking options besides wi-fi. In the - Prepare your home for an earthquake.
the likelihood of an earthquake is low, we
event of downed power lines, wi-fi will not Have a family plan and know the right
have not had one for 250 years. If one were
be an option, and a Bluetooth or mesh steps to take. Visit
to occur now, the damage that could be done
networks. Electronic health records need to https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes
would be severe. Is the city prepared in the
be backed up to a safe system so paper for reliable information.
event of a large earthquake, and how would
records cannot be damaged.
it function in the aftermath?