Scared to move to Silicon Valley because of earthquakes... (San Jose: 2013, neighborhood)

[marcopolo666]

You seem to be ignoring the cost of replacing your trailer/belongings after the hurricane/tornado blows through. And I hear on the news every year a story about some podunk town devastated by hurricane/tornado, and how many died. So I wouldn't call it "safe". In the last year, there was a story about a town hit by tornado where the entire school building was torn away, and they still hadn't accounted for all the kids (in the first 24 hours)...

Katrina didn't exactly leave 1,000,000 happy people safe in their homes or belongings.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by cardinal2007

I have lived in the Bay Area for 9 years, and that is basically the only earthquake above a 4.0 that I have experienced. I think it was the day before halloween by the way 2007 Alum Rock earthquake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (the fact that it got a Wikipedia page should be a big hint that no, we do not get 50 earthquakes like this a year). Every other earthquake I felt was because I was either in a very still situation for some reason, and I felt this mild shaking, usually big trucks passing by will shake the building more. All of those were below 4.0. .

And what I keep saying is you can't project the future based on the recent past. 9 years is not very long. You can't say that just because we only had one 5.0 earthquake in the last 9 years that the future will be the same. If anything, the odds for a big quake increase if we haven't had one in a while, not the other way around.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

So here was the deal with '89. While the few areas of significant destruction (all due to liquifaction BTW) were national media highlights, in reality, they were very few and localized (Marina, West Oakland, a few other hot spots). The real beaotch was the loss of the Bay Bridge due to that slab that busted loose. The Bay Bridge traffic mostly moved to the San Mateo (and a little bit to the Richmond-San Raf / GG), San Mateo traffic moved to the Dumbo, the Dumbo moved to 237, etc. Nasty, nasty grid lock in places where it was previously unknown.

Yes, as I said in another post, the thing I fear more than the quake itself is living in the aftermath of a major quake. That can last for years.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Lobbyists and politicians in D.C. provide far more to fear daily than the rare earthquake one can actually feel out here.

I'm not sure I agree with this 100%, but it's a very valid point.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by pch1013

But in human time, 24 years - which is how long it's been since anyone died in an earthquake in the Bay Area -- is a whole generation.

Before 1989, you have to go back to 1957 for the previous deadly Bay Area earthquake, which killed 1 person. And before that, all the way back to 1906. And before that, to 1868. If anything, a 24-year lull between deadly earthquakes is on the short side.

But the real lull is actually more like 150 years. The 1989 quake was not considered the "big one" that geologists talk about.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by gone down south

Wait, did you say you want to live in Cupertino on $90k for family of 3? You'd better research rental costs here, that's going to be tough sledding!

Yes, that might actually be the more important thing to be afraid of, unfortunately

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by mysticaltyger

I'm not sure I agree with this 100%, but it's a very valid point.

There is no 100% when addressing the possibility of earthquakes, but the possibility of many other heretofore addressed worries certainly invites worries of a much less probability.

[marcopolo666]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

So here was the deal with '89. While the few areas of significant destruction (all due to liquifaction BTW) were national media highlights, in reality, they were very few and localized (Marina, West Oakland, a few other hot spots). The real beaotch was the loss of the Bay Bridge due to that slab that busted loose. The Bay Bridge traffic mostly moved to the San Mateo (and a little bit to the Richmond-San Raf / GG), San Mateo traffic moved to the Dumbo, the Dumbo moved to 237, etc. Nasty, nasty grid lock in places where it was previously unknown.

While the highlighted statement is true, you didn't mention Santa Cruz. Pacific Avenue in SC was devastated by the quake - large numbers of the buildings were condemned and knocked down, and one building collapsed entirely during the quake. The ironic part was that after a huge fire in the late 1800s destroyed most buildings in that area, there was a city ordinance that mandated that new buildings be built in brick. ~100 years later, all the mortar had turned to sand and the bricks just couldn't stand up to the earthquake.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by marcopolo666

While the highlighted statement is true, you didn't mention Santa Cruz. Pacific Avenue in SC was devastated by the quake - large numbers of the buildings were condemned and knocked down, and one building collapsed entirely during the quake. The ironic part was that after a huge fire in the late 1800s destroyed most buildings in that area, there was a city ordinance that mandated that new buildings be built in brick. ~100 years later, all the mortar had turned to sand and the bricks just couldn't stand up to the earthquake.

Dang. 100 years later there was a problem...

If you're afraid of earthquakes don't move here. My life will not change one way or the other. I mean really, why would I care about your fears?

Dial 1-800-wah-wah.

[marcopolo666]

Dang, 100 years later people were killed. How heartless you sound.

Santa Cruz was arguably the hardest hit *residential and business* area during the quake (obviously the collapse of I-880 far eclipsed it in monetary terms). Pacific avenue for over a decade looked like a meth-addicts mouth (with condemned and missing buildings taking the place of the broken and missing teeth). And none of the problem was due to liquifaction - just old brick buildings (well, and concrete poured in the 30s and 40s, before seismic requirements).

It took 15 years, but Pacific Ave is back.