The Association of Bay Area Governments, and its Resilience Program, are here to provide support to the cities, towns and counties of the San Francisco Bay Area with disaster preparedness. Fortunately, disaster recovery support was not needed this morning.
The 6:49 a.m. magnitude 4.0 earthquake, located near Piedmont, was a gentle reminder to the Bay Area that we do, indeed, live in earthquake country. The moderate to strong shaking felt by many in the East Bay and beyond was fortunately not strong enough to cause more than some localized annoyances, such as shifted art and fallen books. This is a wake up call to ensure that we are indeed prepared for larger earthquakes along the Hayward fault that we can expect in the future.
BART responded quickly and efficiently, and no damage has been reported so far. However this earthquake, coupled with the 4.0 earthquake near Fremont on July 21, remind us that the Hayward Fault is indeed an active fault. The USGS predicts that there is a 31% chance of a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake on the Hayward-Rodgers Creek Fault system over the next 30 years. The Hayward Fault runs right below a large percentage of the Bay Area's population, regional infrastructure, and publically and privately owned buildings.
But there is much ABAG can do to assist local governments to be prepared for this or another major earthquake. Below are the top four actions you can consider taking today to make the region more resilient tomorrow.
- Visit ABAG Resilience Program's website
http://resilience.abag.ca.gov/preparedness/natural-gas/ to see what ABAG has been working on and for hazards information. - Ensure that residents stay safe in their homes by retrofitting single-family homes, mobile homes, and multi-unit residential buildings. Check ABAG's website for examples and best practices.
- Adopt a gas shut-off valve ordinance. Gas shut-off valves can prevent gas related fires after an earthquake.
- Become eligible for pre-disaster mitigation grants and ensure full FEMA disaster reimbursement by updating your Local Hazard Mitigation Plan consistent with your Safety Element.
- For more information on these actions, and other ways to build resilience in your jurisdiction, visit ABAG's Earthquake Portal, and sign up for the upcoming ABAG Mitigation Strategies workshop for your Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
If you have any questions or you would like more information, contact ABAG's Planning and Research Director, Miriam Chion, at miriamc@abag.ca.gov or (510) 464-7919, or Resilience Planner, Dana Brechwald, at danab@abag.ca.gov or (510) 464-7920.