Hundreds of Puget Sound buildings at risk during quake, retrofits expensive – KIRO 7 News Seattle

SEATTLE — More than two decades after a major earthquake destroyed buildings across Puget Sound, many are still vulnerable to collapse. Experts say we are not fully prepared before the next earthquake.

“Only California is more at risk for costly damage and injuries during earthquakes,” said Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. “Washington is second out of all 50 states in the country.”

Many in the surrounding Seattle area still remember the 6.8 magnitude Nisqually earthquake, which shook for 45 seconds in 2001.

This event resulted in hundreds of injuries and cost millions of dollars in damage.

“We couldn't even describe the sound,” said Toby Moore, who was setting up a physical education class in Bremerton when the quake struck. “It was so resounding.”

The quake was a wake-up call for the region, but 23 years later, experts warn we were not adequately prepared for the next one.

Several people in the area told KIRO 7 they were surprised by how vulnerable Washington was.

More than 1,000 earthquakes occur in the state each year, according to the Washington Division of Emergency Management, although only about a dozen or so produce shaking strong enough to be felt.

“We don't tend to feel these average-sized people very often,” Tobin said.

Earthquakes like Nisqually, which have a magnitude between 6 and 7.5, occur every 30 to 50 years in Washington, according to the Washington State Military Department.

“We can't really predict earthquakes on any time scale,” Tobin said. “But we still have the risk of large, damaging earthquakes.”

Most at risk during an earthquake are “unreinforced buildings” or URMs. They are old buildings usually made of brick that lack reinforced steel bars. During an earthquake, these buildings can break into pieces and collapse.

Although they are not the only buildings at risk during seismic events, they can be some of the most dangerous.

“These are buildings that can kill people,” Tobin said.

The state database highlights thousands of potential URMs across the state, including homes, medical centers and schools. Many have been updated, but others have not.

In some cases, people who live, work or go to school on these at-risk properties have no clue that they might be exposed.

“Do you care?” KIRO 7 reporter Madeline Ottilie asked a resident who lives in the URM area of ​​First Hill that has not been upgraded and upgraded.

“I guess we'll have to wait until the next earthquake to find out,” he said.

There are hundreds of apartment buildings flagged as URMs in Seattle alone. While many have done some work to improve safety, many have not.

“I wouldn't feel comfortable living in a non-updated URM area in Seattle,” Tobin said, acknowledging that not everyone is lucky enough to have that choice.

It's not just homes that are affected. Several schools have been flagged as at risk across the state.

In Puyallup, for example, a 2021 state survey identified several schools at risk of collapse either in isolated locations or large-scale sites.

The trouble spots included the Meeker Primary School main building, the Mt View Primary School main building and multi-purpose building, the Waller Road Primary School main building and the Wildwood Primary School main building.

A district spokesperson confirmed that no seismic improvements have been made since then due to the need for additional funding. The district is actively planning a future bond action that would replace and/or renovate existing buildings, the spokesperson said.

Seismic retrofits are not cheap. In some cases, funding sources are available, but they may be far and few between.

“A small building? A four- or five-story apartment building, definitely more than a million,” said Ryan Vitlassell, who owns Seattle Seismic, a company dedicated to retrofit work.

Vitlacil said he believes financing is a major barrier for people retrofitting their buildings. The process can also be confusing, he said, as local jurisdictions continue to develop safety procedures and update.

Another challenge is tracking. While the state monitors older buildings and URMs, most jurisdictions outside Seattle do not publish updated retrofit progress.

This means you have to do the work yourself to find out if your building is safe.

We identified two suspected URMs in the state's URM database and dug into their history ourselves.

Both First United Methodist Church of Olympia and Everett High School are flagged in the database, but seismic work has been completed on both.

The church made some seismic upgrades, and Everett High School did a major seismic upgrade across multiple buildings.

If you want to look up your building in the state's URM database, you can do so here.

To fully understand the history of retrofitting in the buildings you live, work and play in, your best bet is to ask the property owners yourself. Ask them if, when, and what seismic improvements have been made.

There are different levels of retrofit work, some more extensive than others.

Experts warn that the clock is ticking before the next major earthquake occurs, and that Washington needs to prepare before the next one strikes.

“Earthquakes strike without warning,” Tobin said.

“I just hope we're prepared enough and I don't know if we are,” Moore said.

You should develop your own seismic plan as well. There are many resources available to help. You can explore the Washington State Department of Health guide here.

©2024 Cox Media Group

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos