This month, an estimated 18 million Americans will take part in the Great ShakeOut, a national safety drill designed to heighten awareness of the many ways to prepare for a major earthquake.
The month will be filled with messages about earthquake risk and personal safety, culminating with the annual drill, which […]
As fire season heats up in California – and open spaces dry into withered reminders of the constant threat wildfire poses to our communities – Orange County residents are rallying together to fight back through prevention.
People who live in our canyons and open space communities depend on one another for […]
Does your building show the telltale signs of dry rot?
Bubbling paint. Spots of orange-brown spore dust. Brittle or spongy wood that crumbles at the touch.
Tenant complaints of a fungus growing out of the wood on a fifth-floor balcony in Berkeley were repeatedly ignored until 2015, when that balcony collapsed, killing […]
Victorian and Queen Anne mansions were once all the rage. These stately and ornate structures, with brightly colored facades, turrets, spires and wrap-around porches, were built to impress — reflecting the optimism and opulence of a society experiencing unprecedented prosperity from industrialization and improvements in transit and communication. It was […]
Nobody knows exactly where or when the next major earthquake will strike, but we do know that quakes are inevitable in California and many other states.
It’s also clear what types of buildings will likely suffer the most damage from seismic shaking.
Beyond these basic points, it’s always best to assess your […]
Orange County’s economy is robust: leading most other U.S. counties, many states – even some countries – in terms of output.
The region’s gross domestic product, at $221 billion in 2020, surpasses that of Oregon and New Zealand, and nearly tops Google, the Orange County Register recently reported.
As the ninth largest […]
Humans, in ancient times, believed earthquakes were caused by huge animals, angry gods and giants.
Current folklore attempts to find causal links between moon phases and earthquakes, but this theory has been debunked by science.
What we do know is that earthquakes are frequent in California, and that Southern California is long […]
Insurance carriers track the pulse of California’s earthquake liabilities, just as they monitor trends in fire, flood, hurricanes, and other hazards that can cause claims to be filed for property damage, injury or death.
Warnings from seismologists that California is long overdue for a major earthquake has property owners and insurance […]
An estimated 18 million Americans will take part this month in the Great ShakeOut, a national safety drill designed to heighten awareness of ways to prepare for major earthquakes.
The month will be filled with messages about earthquake risk and personal safety, culminating with the annual drill, which will be held […]
Should older structures be inspected for safety?
It’s a question being raised throughout the nation as building officials, elected officials and residents weigh similarities between high-rises in their cities and the ill-fated Champlain Towers, which collapsed killing nearly 100 people on June 24.
The 12-story Florida condo tower was due for a […]
