seismic waves

April 2019 Newsletter.

Ali Sahabi
“Did someone forget to pay the earthquake bill?” That was the question posed in the title of a study by UCLA geophysicist David Jackson, who warned that an uncommon absence of major earthquakes in California could ignite a fiery cascade of them — each one tumbling after the other in violent succession, like dominoes. Jackson’s claim is supported by many others in the Los Angeles Times article below. The irony is that the longer we go without any major quakes, the less we guard ourselves against them. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your retrofit needs and how to best protect your assets.

Ali Sahabi, GEC
Principal, Optimum Seismic, Inc.

14% Of ‘Soft-Story’ Structures Compliant With LA ordinance

14% Of ‘Soft-Story’ Structures Compliant With LA ordinance

A Los Angeles City Council committee was briefed on seismic upgrades and to no surprise, only 14% of the soft-story wooden structure are now compliant but none of the concrete buildings have been retrofitted.
Read More >>

California's Earthquake 'Drought' Foretells Disaster

California’s Earthquake ‘Drought’ Foretells Disaster

California hasn’t experienced a major quake in many years, and experts say this drought will end with destructive results. “We’re going to dramatically see a change in earthquake rates,” USGS seismologist Elizabeth Cochran told the Los Angeles Times.
Read More >>

WeHo Hopes to Aid Landlords in Lowering Retrofit Costs

WeHo Hopes to Aid Landlords in Lowering Retrofit Costs

The City of West Hollywood is exploring several options for reducing the cost to landlords of retrofitting their apartment buildings to protect them from earthquakes, including federal funding grants, fee reductions and enhanced rent increases.
Read More >>

Retrofit Underscores Value of Protecting What You've Got

Retrofit Underscores Value of Protecting What You’ve Got

San Diego’s iconic century-old California Tower, jetting out toward the sky beside the mosaic-domed crown of the Museum of Man in Balboa Park, is in the midst of a $5.7 million makeover designed to help it withstand the force of a major quake.
Read More >>

California Hospitals Scramble to Retrofit Buildings by 2020

California Hospitals Scramble to Retrofit Buildings by 2020

Nearly 420 hospitals are rushing to meet state seismic standards by 2020, a move that could jeopardize healthcare access in California, according to a study by the California Hospital Association, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Read More >>

Oregon Governor Calls for Statewide Alert System

Earthquake Alert System Launched in City of Oakland

Tens of thousands of Oakland residents received Amber Alert-style notifications in what is being dubbed as the first residential deployment of the state’s new sophisticated earthquake warning system.
Read More

4,500 Washington Buildings at Risk of Collapsing in Quake

4,500 Washington Buildings at Risk of Collapsing in Quake

A new report from the Washington State Department of Commerce is warning that 4,500 buildings in Washington are at risk of collapsing if a major earthquake were to strike. Nearly a quarter of them are unreinforced masonry structures.
Read More

NOVA Video Addresses Hazards of Soft-Story Buildings

NOVA’s Making Stuff Safer program takes a look at the risks associated with soft-story buildings and the effectiveness of retrofits in helping them stay standing in a major earthquake. Find out why in this recent episode.
Read More

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Join us and our partner associations for a free educational workshop about retrofits and resiliency. Our next event is April 9, hosted by AAGLA, followed by an April 29 event co-sponsored by the Apartment Association of California Southern Cities. Click below for details or to find other events.
Upcoming Events