Even fertile volcanic soil ain't worth it

Unhappening place to stay

The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale

Intensity : I
Description : Instrumental
Characteristic effects : Not felt by people, only detected by seismographs.

II
Feeble
Felt only by a few people at rest, especially on upper floors of buildings. Delicately suspended objects may swing.

III
Slight
Felt noticeably indoors; like the vibrations due to a passing truck. Standing motor cars may rock slightly.

IV
Moderate
Felt indoors by many people, outdoors by few. Dishes, windows, doors rattle. May awaken some sleepers. Standing cars rocked noticeably.

V
Rather strong
Felt by nearly everyone, many awakened. Some dishes and windows broken; occasional cracked plaster; unstable objects overturned. Some disturbance of trees, poles and other tall objects.

VI
Strong
Felt by all; many frightened and run outdoors. Some heavy furniture moved; some falling plaster or damaged chimneys. Damage slight.

VII
Very strong
General alarm; people run outside. Walls crack; chimneys fall. Considerable damage in poorly designed structures. Noticed by persons in moving vehicles.

VIII
Destructive
Considerable damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse. Fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned. Changes in well water. Car drivers seriously disturbed.

IX
Ruinous
Considerable damage with partial collapse of substantial buildings. Buildings moved off foundations; ground cracks conspicuous. Underground pipes broken.

X
Disastrous
Ground cracks badly; landslides on river banks and steep slopes; rails bent; many buildings destroyed.

XI
Very disastrous
Broad fissures in ground; major landslides and earth slumps; floods. Few buildings remain standing; bridges destroyed; nearly all services (railways, underground pipes, cables) out of action.

XII
Catastrophic
Total destruction. Ground rises and falls in waves; lines of sight and level distorted. Objects thrown into the air.
The earthquake intensity felt at a location depends not only on the magnitude of the quake but also on the distance from the epicentre, depth of the focus, and on local surface and subsurface geological conditions. The intensity decreases outwards from the source, areas of similar intensity forming a roughly circular pattern aroung the epicentre.