Earthquake scientists estimate that there is a 72% probability of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake in the Bay Area in the near future.
Earthquake hazard is spread throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. The three faults in the Bay Area most likely to have a damaging earthquake are the Hayward Fault, the Calaveras Fault and the San Andreas Fault. The East Bay has a higher earthquake risk than the San Francisco Peninsula.
Earthquakes in California are inevitable, but the damage they cause is preventable: During an earthquake, the strength of a home is put to the test. Ground forces try to tear the home apart and in many cases, cause severe damage. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes, it’s important that the structural frame of your home is strong enough to absorb an earthquake’s energy. Fortunately, advances in structural engineering, lessons learned from past earthquakes and research performed by the scientific community have paved the way for the development of new construction techniques that better equip homes to withstand an earthquake. Local and regional building codes now require all new homes to meet these higher construction and safety standards; however, many existing homes were constructed prior to the development of these newer code requirements, a retrofit may be necessary to increase structural safety.
While older houses in California are charming, many are also vulnerable to shake damage:
A retrofit adds bracing and reinforcement to strengthen the critical connections within a home. A home that has been retrofitted is able to resist much greater earthquake forces and has a lower risk of being damaged.
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