Did California experience an earthquake today?
When an earthquake hits our city, there is one question on everyone’s mind: was the earthquake centered in Los Angeles? Our clients and friends all know the destructive power of an earthquake, and many have seen a home literally slide off of its foundation, causing unbelievably expensive repairs and sometimes ending in tragic results. Even though earthquakes aren’t always huge, even when they are small, they can still cause a lot of damage!
Do small earthquakes damage buildings?
When residents of Granada Hills were woken up by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake which struck at 11:41 p.m. in 2020, its moderate shaking was felt throughout the San Fernando Valley and neighboring Los Angeles. At the time, we were asked by our clients, can small earthquakes damage homes? The answer is undoubtedly, yes! Interestingly, some quakes, even when they are large, cause little damage as they involve only a little bit of shaking. On the other hand, sometimes even small earthquakes can cause homes to collapse, because they involve a lot of shaking, and happen in areas where buildings were never designed to survive forces.
The epicenter of the Granada Hills quake was the Van Norman Lakes Reservoir in Granada Hills, situated near the intersection of the 405, 5 and 118 motorways. This is not the first time the Granada Hills reservoir has been struck by an earthquake, and in fact during the 1971 6.6 magnitude Sylmar earthquake, the dam faced near failure and had to repaired, forcing 80,000 people to evacuate their homes. Happily, the repaired dam did survive the 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake in 1994.
What part of Los Angeles is safest from earthquakes??
Top of mind for many homeowners is the question, where is the safest place in LA from earthquakes? Well, we have heard accounts of quakes that have come from residents of Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Hollywood Hills, Van Nuys, downtown Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Santa Clarita, Ventura County and San Gabriel Valley, among many others.
Sadly, there is no part of the Greater Los Angeles area that is safe from earthquakes. Even Beverly Hills is located in an area that gets hit with earthquakes, and it even has a fault line running through Rodeo Drive and its heart, which poses a significant seismic risk! In other words, there’s no area in our region that hasn’t been affected in one way or another!
What might happen after an earthquake?
To answer the question of what comes after an earthquake, one has to consider the severity of the quake! Typically, when small earthquakes happen, no initial reports of damage or injury are made, but even then, the Los Angeles Fire Department patrols the affected areas with vehicles and helicopters following the shaking, which is a normal practice.
Having said that, when you live in California, you know it’s not a question of when the “Big One” is going to happen as much as “what will we do when it does?” That’s why it’s so important to take all the necessary precautions when it comes to earthquake protection. After a large earthquake, you and your loved ones may be injured, you may need to find family members and get them all together, and all of you may need to survive for quite a few days without help from the authorities.
Apart from having an earthquake preparedness kit in your household with enough food, water, and medicine to last for every person and pet in your home for at least three days, it’s vital that you have your property checked right now for any earthquake vulnerabilities.
And, if you own an older property, for example a home that was built in the 1950s or earlier, you will find out very quickly that seismic renovation is a necessary safeguard to protect all those who reside in the home, as well as to maintain the value of the property.
How do you prepare your home for earthquake safety?
At Weinstein Construction, we can help you find the best solution to your home’s seismic and foundational needs. We especially worry about pre-1950s built California homes, because we know that there are hundreds of thousands of such homes in Los Angeles, they are mostly not anchored to their foundations, and as such they are extremely vulnerable to damage from the violent forces of earthquakes!
No matter what your foundation situation is, a repair, replacement, or earthquake retrofitting, the professionals at Weinstein Construction can provide you with a (free) comprehensive inspection of your home’s foundation and susceptibility to earthquake damage, followed by a thorough consultation, and at the conclusion of our chat, a quote for repairs.
At Weinstein Construction, we have been the greater Los Angeles area’s #1 foundation contractors for over 45 years, and we are specialists in earthquake renovation, building renovation, and foundation repair. We have provided more than 75,000 homeowners in your area with building inspections and have partnered with engineering firms, as well as local construction and safety authorities. Over the last ten years, our company has done more ground reconstruction and earthquake retrofitting in Los Angeles than any other business in the country! Give us a call today (818) 855-5752!
