Earthquake Scenario: 10 Building Collapses, Most in Downtown

In preparation of tomorrow's big Shakeout--a drill that asks residents of California to imagine and react to a magnitude 7.8 earthquake--here's a link to a video interview with U.S. Geological Survey scientist Ken Hudnut. Hudnut, who worked with the country's leading structural engineers to study the effects of a quake, says tomorrow's Shakeout scenario includes the collapse of 10 tall buildings in Los Angeles, most of which are in downtown. He says: "We've concluded through a very thorough investigation that the ground motions will be large enough to potentially cause collapses of tall buildings. We've seen around the world in other large earthquakes tall buildings collapse: Older, seismically vulnerable types, steel frames with brittle welds and also re-enforced concrete structures that didn't use enough rebar as if they were built today." Tomorrow's Shakeout drill was announced shortly after a May 12th earthquake in China, a 7.9 magnitude quake that killed 87,000 people. As this Shakeout video posted yesterday notes (second video), it seems a matter of when, not if, such a quake will hit Southern California. Stock up on water, people! Photo via Last Minute.
· What Would a Large Earthquake Do to Downtown L.A.? [USGS]
· Giant California Eathquake Drill Is Coming [Curbed LA]
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