There are seven major fault lines (cracks in the earth) in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as a result, earthquakes -- produced when faults shift -- are common. Our children have earthquake drills in school, just as they have fire drills. If you're coming to San Francisco, you should know what to do in case of an earthquake.
Because our seismic reinforcement codes are very strict, it's not likely that the buildng will collapse. The biggest danger is from things falling on you, so unless you're in the middle of a country meadow, it's best not to run outside, where there are signs, street lights, and power lines.
Stay calm and move quickly away from windows, mirrors, and chandeliers. If possible, get under a heavy piece of furniture like a desk or table and curl up into a ball. Or stand in a doorway, which is the most reinforced part of a building, and wait for the tremors to stop. Be aware that there may be smaller aftershocks in the next few hours.
A quake that measure 3 or 4 on the Richter scale will rattle the windows, and a 5 is a hard jolt, like a truck hitting the side of the building. We haven't had a major one in this area since the Loma Prieta quake in 1989 -- that was a 6.9. The infamous 1906 earthquake pre-dated the Richter but is estimated to have been an 8.2.
You will notice that there are very few brick buildings in San Francisco. The reason for that is that brick is a rigid and inflexible material, and the mortar holding the bricks together crumbles easily. The brick buildings that remain have been reinforced.
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on Jan 14, 2007
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