Lori Dengler | ShakeOut A reminder of what it takes to build earthquake-resistant communities – Times-Standard

On December 21, 1954, Mrs. Hess was at her home in Pepperwood when the ground began to shake. She ran outside, and when she reached the balcony, the shaking became too strong and she was thrown down the stairs onto the concrete sidewalk, breaking both of her ankles. Meanwhile, Jenny Thompson, a waitress at the Scotia Inn, also felt the tremors. Like Mrs. Hess, she lunged for the door and fell down the motel's steps as she was exiting, injuring her knee.

I've been delving into accounts of the 1954 earthquake for the past three years as part of a team re-evaluating its location and effects (see It's Not My Fault, August 30). Last week, I spent a few hours at the Humboldt Historical Society, where the staff found several volumes for me to look at. There were pictures, newspapers and some letters. The jewel of the collection was a scrapbook compiled by a high school student, including her English class essay on the earthquake, and newspaper clippings, including an account by Ms. Hess and Jenny Thompson.

The injuries sustained by these women were not necessary. Both were located more than 30 miles from the epicenter, and the tremors were in the moderate zone. Some items could have fallen from shelves, but no structural damage was reported. If they had stayed where they were, they would not have been hurt.

The question of the causes of injuries in California earthquakes was addressed by my friend and colleague Jim Goltz in his doctoral research. He studied the 1989 Loma Prieta and 1994 Northridge earthquakes and examined the causes of injuries sustained by people exposed to the quakes. There was only one clear correlation in his data: the farther the subjects moved while the ground was shaking, the more likely they were to be injured. Being under a table or desk didn't make much of a difference, but walking to a doorway if it was more than five feet away was causing damage.

Why does moving cause injuries? There are two main reasons: You increase the odds of something falling on you, and you are more likely to trip or trip on something like the two women in 1954. The most tragic inappropriate response story I heard was during the Northridge earthquake in 1994. A young mother in Rancho Cucamonga was woken up at 4:30 a.m. by the shaking. She immediately ran to her child's room, tripped over a toy and fell, breaking her neck next to the bed. Rancho Cucamonga was 55 miles from the epicenter, and the shaking was considered “mild” and did not cause any damage.

Instincts take over when we experience something unusual, something we have never trained for. I understand what made this young mother run to her infant; I probably would do the same if the “don't move” message wasn't drilled into me. It's not just tripping, running barefoot and shredding your feet on broken glass and rubble is another common result.

We are fortunate in California that seismic design considerations have been part of our building codes for a long time. There were some attempts to include resilience to lateral pressures after 1906, but California was nervous about publicly addressing seismic risks at that time and only recognized these forces under wind resilience. It was not until the M6.4 Long Beach earthquake of 1933 that seismic design standards became part of state building regulations.

More than 230 schools were damaged or destroyed in the 1933 earthquake, many of which were built of stone and unreinforced masonry. Long Beach lost 75% of its schools in less than a minute of shaking. Fortunately, the earthquake occurred at 5:54 pm and almost all the schools were empty. In 1933, Robert Milliken, head of the state earthquake study, wrote:

“In every community where the earthquake has ever been severe, extensive damage to school buildings has been universal. Halls collapsed, walls collapsed, and debris piled up on safety exits that, a few moments before, had been heavy fragments of towers and ornate doorways. It is sufficient to indicate the dire consequences had the same earthquake occurred a few hours earlier.”

A month after the quake, the governor signed the field law, which requires side-by-side earthquake shock resistance, the first of its kind in the country targeting K-12 schools. California schools were tested in a number of earthquakes that followed, notably the M7.3 Kern County earthquake of 1952. That earthquake near Bakersfield damaged or destroyed 20 schools, almost all of which had been built before the field law was enacted. Newer schools built after design regulations were enacted have performed very well.

Each major earthquake that has struck the state has led to a review of the functioning of schools and other structures and, in some cases, a revision of building codes. The year 1978 is a turning point for earthquake-resistant design in California—structures built to code since then are relatively resilient. Regulations that now require all public school buildings to meet current code requirements have made K-12 and junior college buildings in California often the most resistant buildings in your community.

California schools are not perfect. The regulations do not cover private schools, charter schools, or four-year colleges and universities. Any new buildings will be fine, but there are still a number of older buildings, especially in urban areas, in need of modernization. Temporary classrooms can also fly under the radar and don't necessarily include the strapping straps that keep mobile homes and manufactured buildings firmly on their foundations.

More than 115 people died in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, second only to the 1906 earthquake as the deadliest earthquake in California history. The majority of deaths are attributed to falling debris. The California Geological Survey attributes two-thirds of the casualties to people escaping from buildings and falling debris on them.

There are far fewer masonry buildings in California today than in 1933. Most counties have actively pushed for modernization or removal. In California, brick buildings are required to display a warning sign, although it is rarely placed in prominent places and few notice it. Several years ago, the Sunrise Rotary Club of Eureka asked me to give a lecture. I was quite surprised to learn that the location was in a brick building in the old city. I'm not sure if the audience liked what I said about their choice, so they didn't ask me again.

Building an earthquake-resistant community requires a number of pieces, and at the top of the list are strong buildings. Earthquake engineering design requires an understanding of potential ground motions and how structures will respond. Every major earthquake represents an opportunity to learn more about this complex interaction. It is important for international teams to conduct detailed surveys after the earthquake and apply the lessons learned here.

Structural integrity is an important part of resilience, but it is not the only part. Buildings can withstand ground shaking without damage, but non-structural elements such as roofs, ducts and furnishings can cause injury and damage as well, and in some cases, start fires or chemical leaks that cause more damage than the shaking. There are no clear rules for non-structural parts of buildings, and constant vigilance is required by occupants to minimize the risk of an inappropriately placed bookcase or filing cabinet.

The final piece is the human response. Time and time again, injuries are caused by people running when they need to stay where they are. This is the ShakeOut part. If we can convince everyone to rein in those inner instincts that send them running out the door, we will be able to dramatically reduce ambulance calls, time spent in the hospital, and get everyone back to the new normal after the earthquake as quickly as possible. But encouraging people to stay in buildings that may suffer serious damage is somewhat naive. Let's make sure our building stock is safe.

Lori Dengler is professor emeritus of geology at Cal Poly Humboldt and an expert in tsunami and earthquake hazards. Questions or comments about this column, or want a free copy of the “Living on Shaky Ground” preparedness magazine? Leave a message at 707-826-6019 or email [email protected].

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