Page 21 - Yucaipa Valley Water District

This included a call to “Build a culture of preparedness – taking steps to promote preparedness and to
empower communities and individuals to take action to be more resilient against the threats and
hazards Americans face. xlviii

“Reducing risk and building more resilient communities are the best ways to protect people,
property and taxpayer dollars from loss and disruption,” the White House stated. “Through
risk-informed investments, we will build resilient communities and infrastructure to protect
xlix
and benefit future generations.”

The White House report goes on to say that while government will be responsive to communities that
suffer from natural disaster, much of the responsibility for recovery must take place at the local level.

“Should tragedy strike, the U.S. Government will help communities recover and rebuild,” the
report states. “Citizens must be confident in our government, but also recognize that response
and recovery begin with individuals and local communities.” l

What does an earthquake-resilient community look like? The National Science and Technology Council
li
identified four key characteristics of disaster-resilient communities:
1. Relevant hazards are recognized and understood
2. Communities at risk know when a hazard event is imminent
3. Individuals at risk are safe from hazards in their homes and places of work, and
4. Disaster-resilient communities experience minimum disruption to life and economy after a
hazard event has passed

CONCLUSION

A scene in the movie “L.A. Story” shows Steve Martin dining with friends when a massive earthquake
starts shaking wildly. Glasses rattle, tables scoot across the floor. An ice sculpture swan takes a nose dive
into a platter of fruit. Yet everyone continues their conversation unfazed – as if nothing is happening. It’s
all business as usual.

Clearly, Californians live in earthquake denial. We laugh it off, ignore its ever-present threat to our lives
and our livelihood. But this is an issue that should be in the forefront of everyone’s minds. Are we
prepared at home, in our place of business, in our hospitals, schools and community? How quickly could
we recover from that looming 7.8-magnitude earthquake, and how severely would economic disaster in
California ripple throughout the rest of the nation?

Every building protected from an earthquake represents resilience – the capacity to spring back quickly
from hardship – for tenants, their employers, hospitals, government services and the building owners
themselves. Every building saved means families can remain in their homes, and employees can go to
work. It’s another step away from the chaos and crime that can come when a community shuts down.
The first step to resilience is to identify buildings that are vulnerable to damage in an earthquake.

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Yucaipa Valley Water District - March 8, 2018 - Page 21 of 40