By An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.7 occurred in Malibu on Sept. 12, hitting close to the Long Beach area. This followed several earthquakes in Southern California in August that ranged from magnitudes of 5.3 to 3.9 in the most recent earthquake.
Long Beach State has a higher number of students enrolled this semester, leading to the question of whether the campus is prepared for any more potential earthquakes.
CSULB geology professor Nate Onderdonk has expertise in earthquakes and tectonics and shared whether or not to expect any earthquakes to occur early this semester.
“Just because we have a small earthquake, you know, in south LA or Long Beach, it doesn’t necessarily mean that another one’s coming,” Onderdonk said.
Onderdonk assured there is no need to anticipate an earthquake directly in Long Beach anytime soon after the recent ones in August.
“The only time that you can be sure that there’s going to be more earthquakes is when you have a big one, and then you know there’s going to be little aftershocks nearby,” Onderdonk said. “They’re kind of popping off all over the state at different times, and so they’re not necessarily related.”
Following Thursday’s earthquake, Onderdonk responded with his insight when asked if there was anything unusual about the recent shake.
“No, there is nothing unusual about this morning’s earthquake. It occurred along a well-known fault that has produced earthquakes in the past,” Onderdonk said. “There will be aftershocks, but they will normally be quite a bit smaller than the main earthquake, so it is unlikely that people will feel many of those aftershocks in Long Beach.”
Mark Zakhour, associate vice president of Beach Building Services, responded in an email to the Long Beach Current on the safety status of CSULB’s buildings.
“Our buildings meet or exceed the standards of the building and seismic codes at the time of being built, and as regularly re-assessed by the CSU Seismic Review Board who continuously monitors the status of buildings and recommends updates as necessary.,” Zakhour said.
He also notes that several staff members at BBS have professional training in safety evaluation in the aftermath of a disaster.
Zakhour said BBS regularly monitor the campus to inspect the conditions of several seismic systems, such as the bracing frame system, to ensure everything is fully functional.
According to Zakhour, the university buildings have unique structural frame systems to resist earthquakes and minimize damage.
“For example, our Student Recreation Wellness Center is equipped with a state-of-the-art buckling restraint brace frame system that helps the building resist high lateral earthquake forces in a seismic event,” he said.
Zakhour said the recent earthquake on Thursday had no direct effects on the campus, and explained the BBS process for evaluating damage.
“Every time an earthquake over 4.0 occurs, our BBS team has qualified personnel tour the campus for visual inspections on buildings, seismic systems, structural components, exterior skin systems and windows to see any signs of damage,” Zakhour said.
Additionally, BBS inspects all elevators to ensure everything is functioning and they connect with University Police and CSULB’s Customer Service line to take notice of any phone calls reporting any signs of damage.
In an email response to the Long Beach Current, Allyson Joy, emergency preparedness manager for the UPD, shared instructions to follow on campus in case of an earthquake.
“CSULB students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to ‘drop, cover, and hold on’ in the event of an earthquake and not to attempt to evacuate or run out of buildings while the shaking is occurring,” Joy said.
Each October, the campus participates in the Great Shakeout state-wide earthquake drill. On the day of the drill, everyone on campus will receive a text message from the BeachALERT Emergency Notification System, calling them to find a safe area to take cover in.
“This drill is an opportunity to pre-identify safe spots in the areas they spend the most time in, and to potentially take steps to mitigate their earthquake risk, such as securing cabinet doors or mounting large objects to walls,” Joy said.
James Milbury, director of news media services at CSULB, responded to the Long Beach Current in an email on the status of CSULB’s building structure preparedness in collaboration with Beach Building Services.
Milbury said older buildings are upgraded when resources from the state become available to utilize. The upgrades are based on the specific type of building structure and its requirements to be refurbished.
“We’ve conferred with our colleagues in both Beach Building Services and in Emergency Management. It’s unlikely that many buildings in the world can purport to be earthquake-‘proof,’ but construction projects in the CSU are to exacting safety standards,” Milbury said.
