For the past 45 years, Weinstein Construction’s earthquake mitigation specialists have been having an ongoing dialogue with our friends and neighbors in the Greater Los Angeles region, helping them prepare for “The Big One” earthquake, which surely will one day come. Our clients and friends always ask us: “what do I need to do to prepare?
That’s the best question ever, because, let’s face it, does anyone out there really doubt that the “Mother of All Earthquakes” is out there, just waiting to clobber our amazing city of Los Angeles? We have talked about this in the past, and want to talk about it again today, to raise peoples’ consciousness about this issue, and in this time in the context of providing helpful information about what homeowners can do to protect themselves, their loved ones, and what is typically their single most valuable asset – their very expensive LA home!
How likely is a big earthquake in Los Angeles?
How many times have we all asked ourselves these questions:
- What time was the earthquake today?
- Where was the earthquake today?
- How strong was the earthquake today?
- What damage was caused by the earthquake today?
As we write this blog, we know that a quake that registered at a 5.1 magnitude struck the Malibu area, right at 7:28am, rattling Southern California to its core, having been felt by millions of people up to 60 miles away. This has been a record year of earthquakes 4.0 or higher, straining all of our nerves!
How soon will the “Big One” happen?
No one knows for sure, but what we do know is that we live in “Earthquake Country” and as such, it’s only a matter of time before we get a huge earthquake coming our way. Scientists have recently published data showing that the recent Ridgecrest earthquake brought the “Garlock” fault much closer to rupturing, which means that the odds are that a large quake is now 100 times more likely, and consequently, the chance of a large quake on the San Andreas Fault, which is within 35 miles of downtown Los Angeles, has tripled!
How do we protect against earthquakes?
If you are wondering, how can I protect myself and my family against earthquakes, the first thing you should do, is take advantage of Earthquake Warning California, which is the country’s first statewide warning system that can give Los Angeles residents critical time to take cover before an earthquake happens.
This system, which is managed by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), uses ground motion sensors to detect earthquakes before humans can actually feel them, and can notify you to “drop, cover, and hold on” in advance of any seismic activity!
To receive the earthquake warning, you must download the MyShake App, which is a free smartphone app available in the Apple App and Google Play stores, that provides both iPhone and Andoid users with audio and visual warnings. Look, an earthquake can strike suddenly and with little warning, so get the App and protect yourself and your loved ones! Also, follow up by subscribing to Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) that are no-cost text messages, sent to peoples’ phones, for emergency situations!
Moreover, if you are wondering if there are any other steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones against the dangers of earthquakes, then yes, one other huge step remains for you to take, and that is earthquake retrofitting / house bolting, which will protect your home against earthquake damage. In fact, the California Earthquake Authority retrofitting grant program is one such step!
How does the EBB program work?
The State of California’s “Earthquake Brace + Bolt” (“EBB”) is available for Greater Los Angeles residents, and it provides grants of up to $3,000 (and often much, much more) to homeowners so that they can subsidize their cost of seismic retrofitting their homes! For many small homes, this is literally FREE GOVERNMENT MONEY can potentially cover the full cost of retrofitting!
The EBB program’s free grant money for earthquake retrofitting is available periodically for homes in multiple ZIP codes in the Greater Los Angeles area. You must sign up at the EBB program website to be notified when the EBB registration opens, and to see if your home is in one of the EBB eligible ZIP codes that have been chosen for this period.
When you see that your home is in one of the ZIP codes listed on the EBB website, you must apply for the free money grant by completing an easy online application. Don’t delay – the EBB program opens up periodically and is literally just waiting for eligible homeowners like yourself to complete an application and become approved for the free money grant! Once you complete the application process, you will have 90 days to pick a contractor to seismically retrofit your home!
At that point, please remember that the earthquake mitigation professionals at Weinstein Construction have been helping your friends and neighbors retrofit their homes against earthquakes for decades! Since 1994, we have been a Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) authorized and trained contractor and we have also been on the EBB approved contractor list from the beginning of the program!
We can help you navigate the EBB registration process! Call us today at (818) 334-6657 to get help for the EBB program, which is the most important initiative that can put free government money in your pocket!
Most small homes can be retrofitted for about $3,000, and we will wait to get paid by the EBB, so you pay nothing, and retrofitting your house will be free for you!
You don’t have to wait for the “Big One” to see if your home can withstand an earthquake, so call us today at (818) 334-6657 to schedule a free inspection of your home!
