“The Midnight Killer”- 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake

 “The Midnight Killer”- 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake 

Summary: 

The August 1976 “Midnight Killer” tsunami took place off the Philippine island of Mindanao (8.4961° N, 123.3034° E) only a few minutes past midnight. The earthquake that initiated the tsunami is recorded as having reached a magnitude of 8.0 at its epicenter in the Moro Gulf. The earthquake and proceeding tsunami were felt all across the central islands of the Philippine Archipelago, as well as in the lower part of Luzon (Philippine Institute, 2018). This event injured an estimated 10,000 people and claimed about 8,000 lives (it is reported that 85% of deaths were the result of tsunami waves). Over 90,000 residents were displaced or homeless. A total of $134 million in damage to land and infrastructure was incurred (NOAA, ND). 

The tsunami itself reached wave heights of nine meters and affected more than 700 kilometers of coastline. The places that felt these effects most were Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago, and the Zamboanga Peninsula (although Zamboanga City was spared from serious damage and casualties due to the surrounding islands that acted as a natural barrier against the tsunami waves). In Cotabato City, Philipines, 1,500 residents died as a result of infrastructure collapses, including a college building and a two-story hotel (Bayce, 2022).

Discussion: 

This event took place minutes after midnight, a time when most were in their beds asleep, completely unaware of the danger headed their way. Many woke up to the chaos confused and unprepared as to how to act. The last major tsunami that had taken place in the Philippines was in 1918, and so this community had no experience with a catastrophe such as this and was generally uneducated on the procedures to follow in the case of a disaster. Due to this inexperience and lack of education/preparedness, a tremendous amount of lives were lost. Many of the providences resided very close to shorelines, which also contributed to the extensive loss of lives and homes (The Associated Press, 2022). Since the catastrophe, many have rebuilt with the possibility of future events similar to the 1976 one in mind. The extent of the damage led the Philippine government to establish a National Disaster Coordinating Council, which would later be called the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). In Bangsamoro, there was a push for local government units, such as the Incident Command System (ICS) and Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READi), in order to make communities more prepared and capable of reacting to disasters. Building codes were also updated in order to make them more durable to seismic activity, and siren systems were built to act as warnings. 

Due to the Philippines being in a seismically active location, it is highly vulnerable to various types of natural disasters. Organized response groups like ICE and READi are crucial to mitigation and timely recovery. The “Midnight Killer” was a key event in the process of the Philippine government directing its attention and effort toward natural disaster education, preparedness, and responsiveness (Bangsamoro, 2022). 

Many of those who survived the catastrophe are still around today, making the present population of Minandadao more experienced and prepared to face a similar event than they were before. Some report that warnings and advice are passed through generations in the form of survivors re-telling the horror of the “Midnight Killer” to children and grandchildren. Nearly all of the Mindanao coastal providences were destroyed, making this event one of the deadliest natural disasters the Philipines has ever endured. In an interview with WNYC, Philippine residents related the changes that have taken place as a result of the catastrophe. These changes include yearly drills, familiarizing the community with warnings such as the sound of incoming tsunami waves, siren systems, and the establishment and training of response groups such as ICE and READi. Modern Phillippines is much more prepared to face a catastrophe like that of 1976 than it ever has been in the past (The Associated Press, 2022).

Map of the Philippines showing the epicenter of the 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake that initiated the “Midnight Killer” tsunami and seismic trenches surrounding the Philippine Archipeligo.

Rappler. “Midnight Killer: The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami.” RAPPLER, RAPPLER, 17 Aug. 2015, https://www.rappler.com/moveph/102827-1976-moro-gulf-earthquake-tsunami/.  

 

Image 2: Shoreline depicting damage of the 1976 “Midnight Killer” in the Philipines. 

Image from: Rappler. “Midnight Killer: The 1976 Moro Gulf Tsunami.” RAPPLER, RAPPLER, 17 Aug. 2015, https://www.rappler.com/moveph/102827-1976-moro-gulf-earthquake-tsunami/.

Image 3: Mindanao coastline provinces destroyed after the 1976 Moro Gulf tsunami. Image from: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. "1976 August 17 Mw8.1 Moro Gulf Earthquake." Phivolcs, 2018, www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/earthquake/destructive-earthquake-of-the-philippines/2-uncategorised/208-1976-august-17-ms7-9-moro-gulf-earthquake. 

Video: 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake and tsunami 

Description: A visual review of events taking place in the 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami and testimonies from survivors.

Sources:

Bangsamoro. “1976 Midnight Killer: Remembering the Deadly 8-Magnitude Quake in Mindanao.” BARMM Official Website, 17 Aug. 2022, https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/1976-midnight-killer-remembering-the-deadly-8-magnitude-quake-in-mindanao/.  

Malaya, Blayce. “Looking Back: What Filipinos Learned from the 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake?” WhatALife!, Whatalife!, 22 Aug. 2022, https://whatalife.ph/looking-back-what-filipinos-learned-from-the-1976-moro-gulf-earthquake/.  

NOAA. “Significant Earthquake Information.” NCEI Global Historical Hazard Database, NOAA, ND https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazel/view/hazards/earthquake/event-more-info/4739. 

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. "1976 August 17 Mw8.1 Moro Gulf Earthquake." Phivolcs, 2018, www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/earthquake/destructive-earthquake-of-the-philippines/2-uncategorised/208-1976-august-17-ms7-9-moro-gulf-earthquake.  

The Associated Press. “More than 100 People Are Dead and Dozens Are Missing in Storm-Ravaged Philippines.” WNYC, WNYC- NPR, 30 Oct. 2022, https://www.wnyc.org/story/philippine-victims-feared-a-tsunami-and-ran-toward-the-mudslide-that-killed-them/.