This Southern California fault could produce a devastating earthquake(720P_HD)

Naeem Zia

Earthquake us 4.4-magnitude

Transcript

00:00The recent earthquake that jolted the Southland is sparking concern and

00:04highlighting a much smaller but potentially more threatening fault line.

00:08The fault, running from the Pasadena area to Puente Hills, has been very active in

00:14recent months. KTLA's Rachel Manitow has more from Highland Park.

00:20Angelinos felt the jolt, the shaking of a 4.4 magnitude earthquake this week.

00:26It felt like a basketball.

00:31Some put their earthquake drills to good use and sheltered underneath kitchen tables.

00:36This latest one originated from the Puente Hills fault, which is 25 miles long and

00:41runs from Glendale to Pasadena to Puente Hills. It's been really active in recent

00:46months, much more so than in past years.

00:50And its location near apartment buildings, homes and businesses is concerning.

00:55It has the potential for a very large earthquake.

00:58It's been modeled up to magnitude seven and a half.

01:00The issue of retrofitting is coming back to the forefront.

01:03In 2015, the L.A.

01:05City Council voted to require certain older buildings to undergo retrofits to make them

01:10more resilient. Owners had until 2023 to make those changes.

01:14According to analysis from the L.A.

01:16Times, there are currently 6,000 buildings potentially in need of earthquake updates

01:21in L.A.

01:22County. KTLA consumer expert David Lazarus says, luckily, technology and infrastructure

01:28has improved enormously over the decades.

01:31Buildings that go up now will simply be safer than buildings that went up, say, 20, 30

01:36years ago. So that's an element to all of this.

01:39At the same time, make no mistake, it's a roll of the dice.

01:42If you're planning to spend millions or billions of dollars on a new project, you know

01:46full well there could be a catastrophe around the corner.

01:49For comparison, 1994's Northridge earthquake killed 57 people and caused tens of

01:55billions of dollars in damage at a magnitude 6.7.

01:59Now, the USGS estimates that if Puente Hills fault line produces a full rupture, damage

02:05could top 252 billion dollars.

02:08Hundreds of thousands of people would be displaced and anywhere from three to 8000

02:13people could die.

02:14Through the Northridge earthquake.

02:16So, you know, the first thing I said is I think the big one's coming, guys.

02:20Judith Goldstein, the owner of Luca Natural Goods in Highland Park, remembers the

02:25progression of smaller quakes leading up to a very destructive one.

02:32I know that this is the signs that a bigger earthquake is probably going to come.

02:36I mean, I hope I'm wrong.

02:39It passes us, but it usually that's how it was before the Northridge earthquake.

02:44Seismologist Dr.

02:45Lucy Jones says she hopes these smaller tremors are a reminder that a larger quake can

02:50strike at any time.

02:51Being prepared, she says, doesn't just mean having supplies stocked up like water.

02:56It's also really important to have a plan in place with your family and friends.

03:00Reporting from Highland Park.

03:02I'm Rachel Manitow, back to you in the studio.

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