4.1 Earthquake Jolts San Francisco Residents
Residents of San Francisco were awakened by a large earthquake Thursday morning. The 4.1 magnitude quake struck at 5:07 AM, at a depth of 12 miles.
The shaking was widespread, with reports from residents across San Francisco and even in the Sacramento region.
Shortly after, local trains were delayed and running at reduced speeds as the Bay Area Transit checked the tracks for damage.
As a California resident, you know that it’s only a matter of time until the “Big One” strikes.
That’s because the San Andreas fault system, which runs up and down California, is capable of producing larger earthquakes and is well overdue for a temblor occurring from this system.
It’s this type of built-up energy that caused a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in San Francisco in 1906. That earthquake killed 3,000 people and leveled much of the impacted area.
In 1989, another quake occurred along the San Andreas, this time a 6.9 magnitude near Loma Prieta, killing 60 people and collapsing a major freeway overpass.
And it was the Southern section of the San Andreas that caused the 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake, near Los Angeles, that killed 60 people and leveled apartment structures and houses throughout the area.
If you own a home in California, it’s essential to have the property inspected for seismic safety. Most homes in California were built before structural codes were modified and improved to better protect against the shaking from a large earthquake.
Luckily, earthquake retrofitting is a simple and cost-effective method that can add structural reinforcement to your property in order to protect it from damage and/or collapse in the event of a large earthquake.
What are the benefits of seismic improvements?
- Cost: Seismic retrofitting of single-family homes is considered one of the most cost-effective measures to protect your property and your loved ones from earthquake damage and destruction. A standard earthquake retrofit typically runs from $3,000 to $7,000.
- Protection: Earthquake retrofitting is the only way to protect your property from destruction during an earthquake. Without earthquake retrofits, your home is more likely to suffer devastating damage after an earthquake, and costs that surpass those of proactive retrofits.
- Safety: In addition to protecting your valuable investment – your home – seismic retrofitting will protect those who live there from suffering injury or even death during a sizeable quake. Earthquake retrofitting will ensure that you, and your loved ones, have a place to live after an earthquake and that you stay safe during the intense shaking in the midst of one.
Ultimately, seismic retrofitting is the only measure that will protect your loved ones and your home in the face of a large earthquake. And retrofitting for earthquakes will greatly reduce the cost of repair after an earthquake, in addition to cutting down your earthquake insurance premiums.
At Julian Construction, we’ll help you find the best solution for your seismic retrofitting needs and foundation problems.
No matter what your foundation situation is, we’ll conduct a (free) detailed home inspection, followed by an informative consultation, and at the end of our discussion we’ll provide you with a quote for repair.
Julian De La Torre is an expert in Los Angeles foundation inspection, foundation contractors, earthquake retrofitting, foundation repair and foundation replacement. Julian’s company, Julian Construction, has inspected over 30,000 structures, working with engineering firms and local departments of building & safety. The company has done more foundation repair and earthquake retrofitting in Los Angeles than any other company in the area over the last five years.
