Report: More than 1,100 Seattle buildings vulnerable to the ‘Big One’
May 15, 2016, 3:48 PM | Updated: May 16, 2016, 11:57 am
Earthquake-vulnerable buildings are located in dozens of Seattle neighborhoods, putting at least 26,500 people at risk at any moment. (AP)
(AP)
If and when the “Big One” hits, will your building stand?
Citing information from the city, The Seattle Times reports at least 1,163 vintage buildings in Seattle do not have reinforced walls to withstand the expected monster 9.0-magnitude earthquake heading to the Pacific Northwest.
The earthquake-vulnerable buildings are located in dozens of neighborhoods around the city, putting at least 26,500 people at risk at any moment, according to the Times. On top of that, the Times reports that Washington lawmakers were warned about the dangers of “unreinforced masonry” decades ago by the state Seismic Safety Council, but nothing has been passed to mitigate threat.
Meanwhile, other officials along the West Coast have called for action, with California requiring earthquake-prone jurisdictions to identify all unreinforced-masonry buildings and adopt danger-reducing measures and Oregon providing public financing options for businesses that make seismic retrofits last year.
More than a quarter of Seattle’s housing was built before 1942, when the seismic standards were implemented into the building code, according to the Times. That means that, besides the old brick buildings, some rigid concrete structures and buildings whose ground floors have large open spaces, such as garages and storefront windows, are also vulnerable to a major quake.
The Times also built a map that lets you check whether your building has been retrofitted.
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