When an earthquake strikes, one of the most asked questions is: How safe is the building that I am in?
Whether it is an office building and/or their home, Angelinos want to be sure the building they are in will survive the shaking.
Well, the answer to that question is on its way.
During his State of the City address last Thursday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the city is planning an earthquake rating system that will show how safe the buildings are.
There has been talks about such an idea in the past, but the city council has been hesitant due to concerns about the cost. The mayor addressed those concerns.
“Some critics say the cost of those upgrades may be high,” said Garcetti. “But as we saw with Hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, the cost of being unprepared is much higher.”
No specific information has been given as to what this earthquake safety rating system will look like.
However, the city will work with U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones, whom the mayor’s administration partnered with earlier this year, to come with a solution.
Garcetti’s administration and Jones initially joined forces to come up with ways the city can rebound after a major earthquake. Now, they will also work on the rating system.
Experts say one of the biggest challenges that will be faces will be creating the criteria for the rating.
This would be the first time a building safety rating system is used in the United States.
The mayor’s announcement of this new idea comes weeks after a series of earthquakes have struck Los Angeles County.
