Disney is Serious about Earthquake Safety. Are You?
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t may be the Happiest Place on Earth — but like any other Orange County community, Disneyland sees its fair share of earthquakes. The 7.1 magnitude Ridgecrest earthquake on July 4, 2019, prompted the theme park to temporarily shut down rides to conduct safety inspections. Video of park visitors experiencing the ground movement of the earthquake 160 miles away showed them taking it in stride — chuckling even — as one munched on macaroons, sporting a pair of iridescent Little Mermaid mouse ears. Earthquakes are no laughing matter for Disney. The company knows the risks Orange County faces, and it confronts them head-on. “From the earliest days of park planning, Walt Disney and his team recognized that they were building a theme park near a fault line,” according to David Mumpower of the Mickey Blog, “Disney resorts are the safest
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Apartment News
place to be in an emergency.” It makes sense. The happiest place should also be one of the safest. Clearly, the Disney team took earthquake risk into account when they planned and constructed the theme park. So why do so many of us not take the same precautions when it comes to our homes, businesses, and apartment buildings —which are so vital to our quality of life and well-being?
Planning for resilience
Apartment owners should get informed to make educated decisions about the security of their livelihood, the safety of their tenants and buildings, and the risks that earthquakes pose to them. Here’s what should be considered: • Risks: How vulnerable is your building to damage from an earthquake? The age and type of structure is one factor, along with
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August 2022
BY ALI SAHABI
the type of soil beneath it. • Liabilities: Tenants or their families can sue if they are injured or killed in a quake, even if your apartment building is in compliance with local ordinances. • Loss of income: If your building were damaged, would you be able to keep up with payments if the damage caused a significant loss of income? • Cost of a retrofit: Get multiple estimates so you know what’s reasonable, but look for a fixed price, the best value and not just the lowest initial cost. Make sure you know what is covered and what isn’t. • Financial incentives: Check with your jurisdiction to learn more about Disney — continued on page 18
