Scared to move to Silicon Valley because of earthquakes... (San Francisco: apartment complex, renting) - San Jose - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

JossHillbrook · 09-23-2013, 07:55 PM

My husband got a job offer with Apple and wants to move to Silicon Valley this winter. We currently live in the Washington D.C. area (I grew up in Rhode Island and my parents still live there) and I am a stay at home mom with an almost 2 year old son. I am scared to move because of earthquakes. I only experienced one earthquake in my life and I was 6 months pregnant when it happened (it was a 5.8 centered in the Washington D.C. area) and it honestly scared me more than anything I ever experienced in my life! I can't imagine going through that experience once a week or once a month for the rest of my life!! My husband's job would pay 90K a year and he promised that I could continue staying home with my son until he started school and that we could live quite comfortably by renting a two bedroom apartment or a townhouse.

Please tell me how often you feel those earthquakes and what can I do to overcome my fear? The thing that scares me the most is you get no warning and everything starts shaking. Will I just get used to it? I have nightmares of the thought of my son being in school and a major earthquake hitting and me not being able to come and pick him up. At least for hurricanes and blizzards, you know it's coming and you get the day off to stay home with your family.

I have visions that three years from now, my then 5 year old son and his friends will keep casually playing everytime the ground shakes and I'll still be screaming out of fear. How do you deal with those weekly quakes?

llowllevellowll · 09-23-2013, 08:08 PM

Earthquakes are pretty chill, honestly. I've felt two in the past year or so. Most of them are like 2.9-3.4s and at times it's difficult to differentiate them from trains or traffic. I am certain you won't even realize you felt one. It'll just become commonplace. How many people in California have died due to earthquakes in the past century? Is it even worth worrying at all?

ALR4929 · 09-23-2013, 08:09 PM

According to the USGS, there is a 67% chance that a MAJOR quake will strike the Bay Area in the next 30 years. BUT...they say the greatest chance is along the Hayward fault which lies north of Silicon Valley on the east side of the Bay. You may get some shaking but you should be ok. The area you're going to had a major release in 1989 so that section of the San Andreas fault should not see any major action for a while. My advice is go for it and enjoy your life there.

Now, for the southern end of CA and around LA, that area is WAY overdue for a major quake, and stress is building up along the fault lines quite rapidly.

nightlysparrow · 09-23-2013, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JossHillbrook

...we could live quite comfortably by renting a two bedroom apartment or a townhouse.

Living in a 1-story house instead might reduce your anxiety.

ALR4929 · 09-23-2013, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

Living in a 1-story house instead might reduce your anxiety.

It may reduce your anxiety as opposed to living in a high rise residential building in San Francisco, but having a roof fall on your head could kill you just the same. Houses that are built with reinforced concrete can withstand shaking much better than those that aren't.

JossHillbrook · 09-23-2013, 08:20 PM

It's just they come on so suddenly. It won't matter if you're in a one story house or at the store or at work and my son is in school or at a playdate. All of a sudden the ground starts shaking and it's out of your control! I was told that the earthquake that I felt in D.C. would be a weekly occurrence in California and that everyone casually carries on! And that you often get much bigger earthquakes than that as well. I just can't imagine it even if I lived in a one story house far away from a faultline.

ALR4929 · 09-23-2013, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JossHillbrook

It's just they come on so suddenly. It won't matter if you're in a one story house or at the store or at work and my son is in school or at a playdate. All of a sudden the ground starts shaking and it's out of your control! I was told that the earthquake that I felt in D.C. would be a weekly occurrence in California and that everyone casually carries on! And that you often get much bigger earthquakes than that as well. I just can't imagine it even if I lived in a one story house far away from a faultline.

They carry on because they have to. They can't just keep thinking about it all the time. Life goes on. Big ones only come once in a very blue moon. Quakes measuring 2.0 to 4.0 are a common occurrence though. Just try to stay off freeway overpasses at 8am and at 5pm in the afternoon

BayAreaHillbilly · 09-23-2013, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALR4929

It may reduce your anxiety as opposed to living in a high rise residential building in San Francisco, but having a roof fall on your head could kill you just the same. Houses that are built with reinforced concrete can withstand shaking much better than those that aren't.

Please do not post inaccurate info.

The best construction for earthquakes is reinforced wood frame tied down to the foundation.

Thankfully that describes 90+% of California's residential housing stock.

JossHillbrook · 09-23-2013, 08:52 PM

My husband is laughing at my fear and telling me that I'll just get used it and that California is built for quakes. He also says that the quake size to the one I felt in D.C. will only happen once every 10 years and not every week in Silicon Valley I read postings from Californians saying that you have those 5.8's once a week and showed it to him and he said they are teasing us. I also read that you're going to have the big one which is much much worse than what I felt in D.C. where everything collapses. My husband is set on moving and is telling me that I'll love it once I'm there. He said the weather is so nice that I can take my son to the park every day in summer and winter and there are lots of kid friendly events and stay at home mom groups. He wants to move into apartment complex with a pool and playground on site so we can use the facilities every day. I still don't want to move. Are all the schools, stores, and playgrounds and everything built to withstand earthquakes as well as the houses? Will my son just grow up thinking earthquakes are normal and rain is scary?

StandingRoomOnly · 09-23-2013, 10:08 PM

The only earthquake that I really *remember* feeling is the 1989 earthquake...others are little blips hardly noticed as earthquakes. They are things you may ask afterwards, "did I just feel an earthquake?" or "hey, I think that was an earthquake" but nothing that is worth compiling on a list of earthquakes you will remember. Now, that is not to say another "big one" won't occur, but based on how often these big ones occur, I would say any fear is unfounded at this point.