Examining the earthquake-related experiences of people who experienced the earthquake in Turkey

Background: In the earthquake of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 in Turkey on February 6, 2023, many buildings collapsed and many people suffered emotional and spiritual damage. It is important to understand the situations experienced by people who experienced the earthquake and to plan strategies according to these views in the future. Objectives: The aim of the study is to examine the preparations of people living in Hatay province before the earthquake, their experiences during the earthquake and their experiences after the earthquake in a qualitative design. Twenty-eight individuals (14 women and 14 men) between the ages of 18 and 65 years, who experienced the earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, participated in the study. Result: Participants were asked nine questions about before, during and after the earthquake using a semi-structured interview method. It was found that 32.1% of the participants made any preparations before the earthquake, all of them experienced the feeling of fear the most, 82.1% of them used prayer behavior instead of protective strategies during the earthquake, all of them were affected psychologically, socially, and economically, and 35.7% were physically affected. Conclusion: As a result of the analysis of participant opinions, it was seen that pre-earthquake preparation processes were insufficient, behaviors during the earthquake were not protective, and individuals and their environment were negatively affected after the earthquake.