Insurance carriers continue to closely monitor California’s earthquake liabilities, much like they track risks from wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. With seismologists warning that California is overdue for a major earthquake, property owners and insurance providers alike are growing increasingly concerned. As these risks escalate, so do the costs associated with […]
On January 17, 1994, Southern California awoke to devastation as the Northridge Earthquake shook the region. In just 20 seconds, a magnitude 6.7 tremor caused widespread destruction, altering lives and landscapes. Though Northridge was at the epicenter, the quake’s effects reverberated throughout Southern California, including nearby areas like Orange County. […]
The devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in 2023 served as a stark reminder of the immense destruction that seismic events can bring. With over 50,000 lives lost, these disasters left many Californians wondering: Could a similar catastrophe strike closer to home?
Experts provide a clear answer: Yes, it’s not […]
City of San Diego officials are getting serious about resilience, and they’re turning to the community for feedback on what that means.
In 2020, the city completed a Climate Change Hazard Vulnerability Assessment, which has served as the foundation for a new plan – Climate Resilient SD – to ensure that […]
California’s statewide Senate Bill 721 requires building owners to perform structural inspections of their exterior elevated elements (EEEs). As we enter the final month before the January 1, 2026 compliance deadline, balcony inspections remain a critical part of building ownership, ensuring occupant safety and protecting owners from costly liability.
When is the deadline?
The […]
Before 1980, wood-framed, soft-story apartment buildings became a staple of Southern California’s rapid development. These structures featured open ground floors for parking with residential units above, prioritizing land use over safety.
These structures have since been shown to be among a community’s most deadly. Perched as if on stilts with their […]
Many Californians live in earthquake denial. We laugh them off, ignore their ever-present threat to our lives and livelihoods. After all, some reason, we’ve lived through earthquakes before. Why should the next one be different?
The stark reality is that protecting ourselves from earthquakes should be on all of our minds. […]
It can be a little frightening, feeling the ground shift and sway under our feet. Rocking like a boat on stormy seas, we typically ask ourselves, “How much longer is this going to last; will it get bigger?” The truth in this response is that —in the back of our […]
The dilemma of whether to allow new construction on active earthquake faults remains contentious. Equally pressing is the issue of the many structures already positioned over these hazardous fissures.
These concerns have emerged prominently in areas like Hollywood and other parts of Southern California, where active faults run through numerous neighborhoods.
In […]
Apartment buildings in the Greater San Diego Area may sit on soil that is prone to liquefaction, landslides or other instability when shaken by an earthquake.
If your apartment building is located in Mission Bay, Mission Valley, Tierra Santa, Linda Vista, and many other San Diego communities, it’s best to have […]
