Business Resiliency with Preparedness

by Maria S. Salinas

As Southern California endures an unprecedented winter, the need for businesses and communities to prepare for a potential natural disaster has never been more pressing. With power outages lasting for days and increasing severe weather events, the region must be ready to face challenges. Amid all the unpredictability, earthquakes remain a constant threat, making it crucial to take steps to ensure safety and readiness. Earthquake preparedness and seismic retrofitting are essential for proactive emergency responsiveness.

According to modeling by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a major earthquake in Northern or Southern California could result in billions of dollars in damage, over 50,000 displaced households and more than 30,000 people requiring short-term shelter due to violent shaking in densely populated areas. Older buildings, which pose the greatest risk of collapse, tend to house residents without the financial means to recover from displacement due to a natural disaster.

To protect the social, economic, and environmental health of California's communities, businesses and government must work together to enhance the safety of its infrastructure. Soft-story apartment buildings, as well as non-ductile concrete and tilt-up structures, are among the most vulnerable types of buildings found throughout California. Up to 100,000 of the state's most vulnerable apartment buildings are home to as many as 2.5 million people, representing a substantial portion of California's most affordable rental units.

Elected officials from across the state are discussing ways to better protect California residents, businesses and the economy from earthquake damage in light of the massive earthquakes in Turkey in Syria. The Chamber is actively engaging with lawmakers to support policies aimed at reducing earthquake risks by restoring seismic retrofit funding for vulnerable apartment buildings. We are also working with regional businesses, such as Optimum Seismic, which are collaborating with the federal and state governments to retrofit buildings for potential earthquake disasters.