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California’s half-century campaign against earthquakes is a story of sustained effort that has made the state an international leader in seismic safety.

Though the chance of a major tsunami generated by a large landslide within Monterey Canyon itself is tiny, the California Geological Survey incorporated the risk in its tsunami hazard maps for Santa Cruz and Monterey just in case.

The pandemic has put San Francisco in the throes of a disaster. And it’s given the city an unexpected chance to prepare for another kind of catastrophe: the Big One.

Experts worry that a further surge of COVID-19 in under-developed regions with shaky health systems could undermine efforts to halt the pandemic.

California is experiencing fewer wild fires than last year, both because of the exceptionally wet rain season in 2016-2017 and because of prescribed burning.

There hasn't been a major seismic event in California in an unusually long period of time. Even though building codes and emergency plans have improved significantly, estimates suggest that a repeat of the 1906 earthquake today would result in building damage of almost $100 billion and up to 7'800 fatalities.

With the impending start of the next wildfire season, California's utility sector is racing to upgrade its technological capabilities, using artificial intelligence, fire watching cameras and other systems to reduce risk. But more technological advancements and information sharing are needed.

The Oakland City Council has passed an ordinance requiring property owners to add seismic retrofits to soft-story apartment buildings in the next six years. Given that experts are anticipating a major earthquake to hit Oakland, the retrofits will help avoid major devastation, casualties, and displacements.