We all know the “big one” is coming to Southern California, but we don’t know when that massive earthquake will strike.
A new study by the Los Angeles Times found that 6,000 Los Angeles-area buildings are in need of retrofitting.
The Times constructed an interactive map that shows residents the status of the buildings they live and work in.
“A retrofit strengthens earthquake-vulnerable buildings to better withstand shaking, making them less likely to collapse or be damaged,” the article stated.
The research showed that most of the buildings awaiting improvement were described as “soft-story” structures.
About 200 soft-story structures collapsed during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Only 6% of the area’s “non-ductile” concrete buildings – similar to those that crumbled in a recent massive earthquake in Turkey – are retrofitted, according to the study.
For concrete buildings, mostly in downtown L.A., the retrofit process can take five to six years, the study said.
