At 8 AM, on the morning of April 3, 2024, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck 9.6 miles below ground in the mountainous Hualien county of eastern Taiwan. It has been classified as the strongest earthquake since 1999, and was felt as far away as mainland China and Japan, sparking  a tsunami warning that was later lifted. Officials said that more than 50 aftershocks were recorded, along with rockfalls and landslides throughout the region, detailing the importance for an early warning system for any future disasters. As night came, many victims spent their nights in tents and evacuation shelters as emergency workers and groups such as Red Cross Taiwan searched for others. Christian aid groups, including World Vision Taiwan and 1919 Food Bank, focused specifically on emotional support for the victims, as well as caring for affected children and families.

Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismology expert, compares Taiwan to California through their proneness to earthquakes, and warns that what happened on April 3 could happen in the U.S. Taiwan’s lack of a proper warning system led to increased damage in the epicenter of Hualien, and compared to Taiwan, California would have sustained a colossal amount of damage had an earthquake of Taiwan’s magnitude struck there. Structural engineers in Los Angeles have long warned of the risk of concrete buildings falling during a major quake, and many buildings have not been reinforced or updated to proper safety standards, in order to withstand the full might of a major earthquake. Patti Harburg-Petrich says that about 6,000 buildings so far have not been retrofitted to meet modern safety standards.