[californiadisasters] San Diego businesses would ride out big San Andreas earthquake

San Diego businesses would ride out big San Andreas earthquake

By Gary Robbins

San Diego Union-Tribune

Originally published 7:37 a.m., June 22, 2011, updated 1:03 p.m., June 22, 2011

Businesses will suffer mightily in the greater Los Angeles area if the southern San Andreas fault snaps and produces a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. But the quake would have comparatively little impact on structures in San Diego County, says a new analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Such a quake would channel most of its energy into Los Angeles and Orange counties and the Inland Empire. San Diego is too far to the southwest to take a direct hit, the analysis shows.

The BLS findings (full report) are based on an analysis of shaking patterns that appear in a highly detailed earthquake scenario that was produced by state, federal and university scientists. The U.S. Geological Survey ran a scenario on the southern San Andreas to help the public and emergency planners understand what they might have to cope with if the 'Big One' hits.

BLS says that a 7.8 quake would have varying degrees of impact on almost 60 percent of the workforce in Los Angeles County, and on 21.3 percent of all employees in Orange County. The figures are 11.3 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively, for San Bernardino and Riverside counties. San Diego County wasn't included in the damage analysis because its distance from the San Andreas would likely spare the region from widespread destruction.

But such a quake would have an economic impact on San Diego. The BLS report says,"Direct damage to a region's businesses understates the interactional effects on customers or suppliers inside and outside the damaged areas. Some businesses cluster in regions to be near their customers and suppliers.

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View entire article here: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jun/22/big-san-andreas-quake-would-cause-little-damage-sa/?sciquest

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