Study shows vulnerability of quake on San Andreas fault
The San Andreas fault in California. Photo/U.S. Geological Survey
By Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times
A sobering new report on California’s seismic vulnerabilities said that up to 3.5 million homes could be damaged if an 8.0 earthquake ruptured on the San Andreas fault.
The new estimate, from the data firm CoreLogic, is based on a theoretical rupture of the entire San Andreas fault, which passes through Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area and spans more than 800 miles, from the Pacific Ocean south of Eureka to Imperial County near the Mexican border.
Scientists now say it is possible — although not likely — that the northern and southern sections of the San Andreas fault can rupture simultaneously.
The cost of reconstruction could be greater than $289 billion.
