A survey conducted within 48 hours of the 3.4 magnitude earthquake near Zeerijp found that people living in the induced quake-prone region felt unsafe, helpless and angry.
The report by Gronings Perspectief, which was released on Tuesday, 6 June, found that residents impacted by the gas extraction-induced quakes reported that the Zeerijp quake in particular left them with little faith in gas-related organisations, including the national government, Centrum Veilig Wonen, National Coordinator Groningen and NAM.
The most notable takeaway from the report was that the residents reported a deep decline in their sense of safety in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. Residents whose homes had previously been damaged by other quakes reported feeling far less safe and much more at risk than before.
Two conclusions in particular contradicted scepticism about some people exaggerating their experiences. When compared to data about the impact area of the quake, it was found that residents of the villages in the vicinity accurately reported whether or not they felt the ground shake.
The research also looked at how many damage claims were filed and where, and determined that there was a correlation between the number of claims and the severity of the quake. “There were barely any reports filed from areas where the ground was not shaking.”
The research was carried out by Gronings Perspectief, a group of researchers from the University of Groningen including professor Tom Postmes and Katherine Stroebe, on behalf of the National Coordinator Groningen.