California Earthquake Could Be the Next Katrina

LA Times ^ | September 8, 2005 | Jia-Rui Chong and Hector Becerra

[NYer]

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones remembers attending an emergency training session in August 2001 with the Federal Emergency Management Agency that discussed the three most likely catastrophes to strike the United States.

First on the list was a terrorist attack in New York. Second was a super-strength hurricane hitting New Orleans. Third was a major earthquake on the San Andreas fault.

Now that the first two have come to pass, she and other earthquake experts are using the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as an opportunity to reassess how California would handle a major temblor.

Jones, scientist-in-charge for the geological survey's Southern California Earthquake Hazards Team, and other experts generally agree that California has come a long way in the last two decades in seismic safety.

In Los Angeles, all but one of 8,700 unreinforced masonry buildings — considered the most likely to collapse in a major quake — have been retrofitted or demolished. The state spent billions after the 1994 Northridge quake to retrofit more than 2,100 freeway overpasses, reporting this week that only a handful remain unreinforced.

Despite these improvements, however, officials believe that a major temblor could cause the level of destruction and disruption seen over the last week on the Gulf Coast.

[TheForceOfOne]

Hopefully Kullifornia will shake just long and hard enough to toss all the Liberal fleas into the ocean.

[Rutles4Ever]

Can't anyone do anything original anymore? I mean, we've got people calling for sequels to natural disasters. Well, I guess it's Hollywood, so it's to be expected.

Good God, will they ask for an advance on debit cards?

[Gaetano]

And you can be sure that when the next quake hits, Californians will not sit around crying about being abandoned by the Federal Government. They will dust themselves off and get back to work right away. Accounts with FEMA can be settled later.

[Sthitch]

And it will be the fault of George W. Bush, Big Oil, and more specifically King Karl Rove. /sar

[sandbar]

So what are next weeks lottery numbers?

[alloysteel]

We of America are a little jaded right now, could you put this off for a few days? We already have a major crisis playing out.

Don't confuse the issue with a few measly temblors.

[loreldan]

Not so sure about that...Doesn't Sean Penn live in CA?

[PeteB570]

I'm waiting for the Yellowstone Eruption.

[Red Badger]

First on the list was a terrorist attack in New York. Second was a super-strength hurricane hitting New Orleans. Third was a major earthquake on the George Bush's fault.

I can see it now.........

[Blogger]

Don't forget New Madrid.

[dc-zoo]

Darn.. you beat me to it.

[albertp]

I'm waiting for the Yellowstone Eruption.

Wouldn't that be a so-called extinction event? The entire continental United States would be affected, also Canada and Mexico.

[lmailbvmbipfwedu]

194 years and counting...................

[Bon mots]

"California Earthquake Could be Next Katrina"

Only if it hits Compton, Oakland or East LA.

[PetroniusMaximus]

***...experts are using the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as an opportunity to reassess... ***

I would imagine a lot of folks (even some normal, everyday folks) are using the aftermath of Katrina to reassess a lot of things.

[Personal Responsibility]

You forgot Tom Delay

[TheOracleAtLilac]

U forgot E. Palo Alto !

[onyx]

Unlike hurricanes, earthquakes do not come with warnings.

[Sthitch]

"You forgot Tom Delay"

Or did I? We all know he is just a puppet of Karl Rove. Aren't we all?