"Morocco's Deadly Earthquake: Lessons for California and Aid Confusion"

The recent devastating earthquake in Morocco serves as a warning for California, highlighting the dangers of weak brick buildings during seismic activity. While California has taken measures to address this issue, some cities have not, putting lives at risk. Older brick buildings lack the ductility and reinforcement needed to withstand earthquakes, causing them to collapse and potentially kill occupants and pedestrians. The risk is particularly high in the Inland Empire region, where multiple dangerous faults intersect. The U.S. Geological Survey classifies old brick buildings as one of the two building types posing the greatest risk to life safety, along with non-ductile concrete structures. Owners of vulnerable brick buildings may face significant lawsuits if they fail to address the risk, even if local government mandates have not been issued.