Earthquake Fear Rises In California

Published April 4, 2014 at 12:35 PM CDT

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A picture taken on January 19, 1994 in Los Angeles shows a bulldozer tearing down a section of the Santa Monica Freeway that collapsed during the massive Northridge earthquake. A huge earthquake this week in Chile and two minor quakes in California are raising concerns if California is prepared in the even of another major earthquake.(Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

Geologists say this week’s huge earthquake in Chile is not directly related to two smaller Los Angeles-area earthquakes and one that struck off the Northern California coast recently, even though California has gone for an unusually long time without a significant quake.

In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco killed 63 and injured more than 3,700 people. In 1994, the Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles killed 57 people and injured more than 5,000.

Is California ready for the next big one?

Patrick Otellini, earthquake safety director for the city for San Francisco, joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to discuss California’s preparedness in the event of a large earthquake.

Guest

Patrick Otellini, chief resilience officer for the city and county of San Francisco and director of the city’s Earthquake Safety Implementation Program.