LOS ANGELES (KNX) – A 7.8 earthquake hit central Turkey and northwest Syria Monday, killing over 2,300 people and leaving thousands injured.
Such an earthquake has many in California wondering what if.
One thing to note, John Vidale, seismologist and Earth Sciences professor at USC told LA’s Morning News, are the different building codes.
“Our buildings here are much better,” he said. “There would still be considerable damage here and failures here and there, but it wouldn’t look like it does there in Turkey.”
Vidale also noted that while California is “better than we were in 1971 when we had the San Fernando”, he said what matters most is exactly where “the shaking is the strongest.”
“I’m sure we have some unpleasant surprises in a big earthquake, but it’s hard to actually predict,” he explained. “Earthquakes are so variable, depending exactly where the epicenter is.”
The weakness, he added, is in the older buildings.
“It just cost a fortune to replace all the buildings [that] were made before we knew the safest way to build them and unreinforced masonry is the thing we work hardest to fix,” he said.
Listen to the full interview in the audio above.
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