US: New Cascadia quake analysis shows building retrofits could save many lives

There are plenty of grim statistics in a new analysis of potential damage from a Cascadia megaquake, but the report also includes several surprisingly hopeful findings.

Among them:

• Most single-family homes, with their flexible wood frames, should hold up well to the type of moderate ground shaking expected.
• The bulk of injuries will be minor, which means training more people in basic first aid could have a big payoff.
• Even moderate seismic upgrades to older commercial buildings would significantly reduce the number of people killed or injured and the level of property damage.

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The scenario also examines the dramatic differences between a quake that strikes during the dry season and one that occurs in winter or fall, when the ground is saturated and more vulnerable to landslides and liquefaction.

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