An elected official is calling for a comprehensive review of Los Angeles County’s earthquake preparedness, acknowledging that while we can’t predict the next major tremor, we know one will happen.
It comes after earthquakes left thousands of people dead in Venezuela in June, and more recently, an earthquake that killed reportedly over a dozen people in Japan.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced a motion tasking the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management to provide a presentation to the board that includes several elements, including “the current readiness of county staff and facilities” and “a plan for how the county will ensure continued service to residents and business” in the event of a major earthquake and while
ensuring the safety of the community.
The presentation should include all county departments that have a role in emergency preparedness and response, including the fire department, the sheriff’s department and public works, according to the motion. It also directs officials to tap renowned seismologist Lucy Jones and representatives from places like Caltech and UCLA.
"No one can predict when the next major earthquake will occur, but we know with certainty that one will happen,” Barger said in a statement, adding that the county must engage the best scientific expertise available, like Jones so that they’re preparing “before lives, homes, and critical infrastructure are impacted."
Los Angeles County is a sprawling region home to an estimated 9.6 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 1994, the county suffered the Northridge earthquake that left dozens of people dead and billions of dollars in damage.
The motion pointed to recent research: Tectonic stress along Southern California’s San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems has reached — and in some areas exceeded — the highest levels seen in the past 1,000 years, according to research led by Earth scientists at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The study suggests the region is in a “critically loaded state,” with stress building across multiple fault segments; One key area of focus is the Cajon Pass.
Barger’s motion also pointed to several other pieces of research:
- The probability that a magnitude-6.7 earthquake will occur in the Los Angeles region within the next 30 years is 60%, according to a 2015 forecast
- Researchers modeled a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault that caused about 1,800 deaths and $213 billion in economic losses, according to research published in 2008
USA TODAY Network reporter Brandi D. Addison contributed to this story.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is LA County prepared for the 'big one'? One official wants to know
