“If you continue to keep your head in the sand, you will get a kick on your behind.”
On Friday, April 18th some willing early risers, got together at the Lotta’s Fountain on Market and Kearney Street. At 5:12am, sirens blasted to commemorate 108 years since the earthquake of 1906 struck San Francisco. All of the survivors are no longer living today, but you have probably seen pictures of the devastation, which destroyed the city. Do you remember the Loma Prieta earthquake that struck the San Francisco bay area on Tuesday October 17, 1989 at 5:04pm? Either way, the name Loma Prieta (which means “dark hill” in Spanish) comes from the name of the mountain in Santa Cruz County, the epicenter of the 1989 earthquake. The results were devastating: 63 deaths, 3757 injuries and an estimated $6 Billion in property damage.
In the book, “Peace of Mind in Earthquake Country: How to Save Your Home, Business, and Life” by Peter I. Yanev and Andrew C.T. Thompson, they found that “there is a 62 percent probability that at least one earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater will occur on a known or unknown San Francisco region fault before 2032” (44).
They also wrote that “the estimated consequences of a major earthquake in this case (a repeat of the 1906 M7.9 quake) striking the bay area will result in 3,400 instantaneous deaths and direct economic losses (including business interruption) of $120 billion” (44).
Are you prepared?
There are many buildings in the Bay Area and particularly in San Francisco, which have an opening for the garages, or stores. This design is called a “soft story” and weakens the structure of the building. To prevent damage, the city of San Francisco created the Soft Story Retrofit Program, which resulted in the creation of ordinance NO66-13. The ordinance applies to wood frame buildings of three or more stories or two stories over a basement containing five or more residential dwelling units where a permit for construction was applied prior to January 1, 1978. In September 2013, the Department of Building Inspection sent notices to about 6,000 property owners.
Did you receive one?
Do you know what to do?
Do you know who can do the work and the steps involved?
Do you know where to find financing?
Do you know that your bank may not renew your mortgage and your insurance company may not insure you if you will not fix your building?
Three years ago, we started an educational campaign conducting seminars, in attempt to get building owners’ attention. Most just stuck their heads in the sand. But now there is no choice. Luckily this time, the cost can be passed through the tenants—but how?
We want to help protect your investment.
Our next MeetUP Event will bring professionals who will shed some light on the huge problem. Even if your building, home, or rental property is not on the list, the earthquakes will not discriminate. Do not wait.
(Click through for details)
P.S.
In Havana, I photographed a number of buildings, which would not have a chance to survive a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, like the one that recently hit Acapulco, Mexico and was centered on a long dormant fault line.
DO NOT KEEP ME AS A SECRET.
SMILE AND PLEASE SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND
