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Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (earthquakes)

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Earthquake Intensity Effect
I Not felt except by a very few under favorable conditions.
II Felt only by a few persons at rest, especially on upper
floors of buildings. 
Delicate suspended objects may oscillate.
III Felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on the
upper floors of buildings.
Many do not recognize it as an earthquake.
Standing cars may rock slightly.
Vibration similar to the passing of a truck.
IV Felt indoors by many, outdoors by few during the day.
Some people will be woken up if asleep.
Dishes, windows, doors disturbed.  Walls make cracking sound.
Sensation like heavy truck striking building.
Standing cars rocked noticeably.
V Felt by nearly everyone; many awakened.
Some windows broken.
Unstable objects overturned.
VI Felt by all; many frightened and run outdoors. 
Walking becomes unsteady.
Windows, dishes, glassware broken.  Some heavy furniture moved or overturned.
Overall damage is slight.
VII Difficult to stand.  Furniture broken.
Overall damage to building of good design and construction is slight.  Considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures
This intensity will be noticed by persons driving cars.
VIII Damage slight in specially designed structures.  Considerable damage to ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse likely.
Damage great in poorly built structures. Fall of chimneys, factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls.
Heavy furniture moved.
IX General panic.
Damage will be considerable even to specially designed structures.
Damage great in substantial buildings, with partial collapse.
X Some well built wooden structures destroyed along with most masonry and frame structures destroyed.
Rails bent.
XI Few, if any masonry structures remain standing.
Bridges destroyed.
Rails suffer considerable bending.
XII Total damage.
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