Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
I. People do not feel any Earth movement.
II. A few people might notice movement if they are at rest and/or on the
upper floors of tall buildings.
III. Many people indoors feel movement. Hanging objects swing back and
forth. People outdoors might not realize that an earthquake is occurring.
IV. Most people indoors feel movement. Hanging objects swing. Dishes,
windows, and doors rattle. The earthquake feels like a heavy truck hitting the walls. A
few people outdoors may feel movement. Parked cars rock.
V. Almost everyone feels movement. Sleeping people are awakened. Doors
swing open or close. Dishes are broken. Pictures on the wall move. Small objects move or
are
turned over. Trees might shake. Liquids might spill out of open containers.
VI. Everyone feels movement. People have trouble walking. Objects fall
from shelves. Pictures fall off walls. Furniture moves. Plaster in walls might crack.
Trees and bushes
shake. Damage is slight in poorly built buildings. No structural damage.
VII. People have difficulty standing. Drivers feel their cars shaking.
Some furniture breaks. Loose bricks fall from buildings. Damage is slight to moderate in
well-built
buildings; considerable in poorly built buildings
VIII. Drivers have trouble steering. Houses that are not bolted down
might shift on their foundations. Tall structures such as towers and chimneys might twist
and fall. Well-built buildings suffer slight damage. Poorly built structures suffer severe
damage. Tree branches break. Hillsides might crack if the ground is wet. Water levels in
wells might change.
IX. Well-built buildings suffer considerable damage. Houses that are not
bolted down move off their foundations. Some underground pipes are broken. The ground
cracks.
Reservoirs suffer serious damage.
X. Most buildings and their foundations are destroyed. Some bridges are
destroyed. Dams are seriously damaged. Large landslides occur. Water is thrown on the
banks of canals, rivers, lakes. The ground cracks in large areas. Railroad tracks are bent
slightly.
XI. Most buildings collapse. Some bridges are destroyed. Large cracks
appear in the ground. Underground pipelines are destroyed. Railroad tracks are badly bent.
XII. Almost everything is destroyed. Objects are thrown into the air. The
ground moves in waves or ripples. Large amounts of rock may move.