Should I worry about earthquake risk in San Diego? (San Gabriel: apartment, insurance)

[goliard]

We're seriously considering relocating to San Diego. In our research, we've come across some disturbing information about the risk of earthquakes in San Diego (e.g., see: https://www.latimes.com/california/s...e-fault-danger).

Are the risks great enough to reconsider our relocation?

Thank you.

[3chidogs]

I am no expert, but judging from past incidents, I feel a lot safer here that I did living in the San Gabriel Valley when we had several pretty big shakers.

[cruitr]

In the past 20 years, we had only 1 serious shaker. That was Easter Sunday of 2010. I was in my house near Mission Bay and I fell to my knees. There was no major damage in the San Diego area.

If I remember correctly, the origin of that earthquake was in Mexicali MX.

I live pretty much in Rose Canyon. If the Rose Canyon fault get's active, I'm toast.

[GuyInSD]

Originally Posted by cruitr

...If the Rose Canyon fault get's active, I'm toast.

Yeah - the Rose Canyon fault is really the only one to worry about in San Diego - runs more or less SSE from La Jolla.

For detailed maps, check out the City of San Diego's Seismic Safety Study page - they have maps of the entire City of San Diego showing not just faultlines, but other geological hazards as well; the maps are topographical and are detailed enough to show individual lots.

[saibot]

Originally Posted by cruitr

In the past 20 years, we had only 1 serious shaker. That was Easter Sunday of 2010. I was in my house near Mission Bay and I fell to my knees. There was no major damage in the San Diego area.

We felt that pretty strongly in south OC, but of course no damage up here either.

OP, serious earthquakes are rare and damage tends to be localized. Many people live a whole lifetime in SoCal and are never affected in any significant way by an earthquake. In my more than 50 years here, I've felt dozens of quakes but only experienced one that did minor damage (a few broken dishes, a cracked window).

However, they are by nature unpredictable and you never know when one may occur or if you'll be in the exact wrong place. Just to be practical, you can deliberately live as far as possible from known faults and pick a location that is on solid ground (bedrock is best). You can buy earthquake insurance. You can make sure your home is built according to code, furniture bolted to walls and otherwise set up to minimize any risk to yourself and your belongings. Do these things and your chances are high that you'll be fine. But in the end, whether you'll experience a severe earthquake in SoCal is an unknowable quantity.

[NYSD1995]

Most of the earthquake faults run far to the east of the population centers out in the desert. The exception being the rose canyon fault which runs right under a number of coastal communities. Depending on where you live in the county, fire is probably a much bigger risk than an earthquake that actually does any damage. I have lived in SD since 1995 and have never experienced an earthquake where any damage occurred, but there have been many, many fires in that time.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by cruitr

In the past 20 years, we had only 1 serious shaker. That was Easter Sunday of 2010. I was in my house near Mission Bay and I fell to my knees. There was no major damage in the San Diego area.

If I remember correctly, the origin of that earthquake was in Mexicali MX.

I live pretty much in Rose Canyon. If the Rose Canyon fault get's active, I'm toast.

Ditto, it runs about 800 yards away from the house.

[kettlepot]

I've lived here over 30+ years, and there have only been two earthquakes even worth mentioning. The Mexicali quake which we felt, but was too far away to do anything, and a very local earthquake back in the 80s(?).

Our local faults can't do much damage. I think seismologists say they top out at 5.0. That's enough to wake you up, but not enough for you to bother actually getting out of bed. In San Diego, it's like the opening scene from Independence Day where a sleeping Will Smith says to the young kid tugging his arm, "It's just an earthquake."

[Jehjeh]

There are some faults off the coast. I remember a 5-point-something that hit around 2003 or 2004. No damage but quite a few yelps in the office when the shaking briefly increased.



For local fault risks, Rose Canyon as others have mentioned. However, we do get shaking from quakes located farther away. The Mexicali Easter quake in 2010 as others have said was one. Not a lot of damage here, but the shaking was strong. Imperial Valley has had some 6-pointers over the decades, too.


We might not have the track record of frequent quakes like L.A. or the Bay Area, but it doesn't hurt to set up your home as if you were in those areas. Nothing placed above the head of the bed (like pictures, shelves and knickknacks, etc.), etc.

[joosoon]

Originally Posted by Jehjeh

However, we do get shaking from quakes located farther away.

All the memorable ones have been that way. The last really prolonged quake was Northridge. The little two second jolts are just teasers. The more recent Easter one rolled a toolbox around in my shop and made a mess but it didn't seem that big as it was happening. I spent summers as a kid in the SFV. The worst quake I recall was in the 70s as I was in a third-story apartment and the leverage being that far off the ground really intensifies things. That was scary.


But in San Diego, fire wins. Still not a bad idea to have earthquake insurance though.