WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A first responder team from California is heading overseas to provide aid after a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria overnight leaving thousands dead.
“This is a mass-scale disaster. They definitely need the support,” said Dr. Kit Miyamoto, a global CEO of Miyamoto international.
Miyamoto International is a structural engineering and disaster risk reduction firm based in West Sacramento. He and his team are heading to Turkey to aid the recovery efforts and, potentially, bring back some lessons for California.
The most powerful earthquake to hit Turkey in 100 years struck in the middle of the night as millions were sleeping.
The dangerous conditions continued through the day with buildings collapsing just as people walked by. The region has been hit by more than 75 aftershocks.
Miyamoto is urging the community to tackle retrofitting projects, saying despite improvements California could see significant damage if a big earthquake were to strike major population centers.
“Some of the older concrete structures, something built in the case of California prior to 1973 or the mid-1970s, those have the same characteristics of the death box like what you see in Turkey,” he said.
He said the Capital City is also vulnerable if and when a major quake were to hit.
“Sacramento, downtown, has very soft soil. If we have something on one of the large faults in the Bay Area, it would definitely affect that soft soil area along the river and downtown,” said Miyamoto.
To get an advanced warning of a major earthquake, people can download the MyShake app. It's an earthquake early warning system designed and operated by the federal government. While it cannot predict an earthquake, it can alert you that one is coming.
ALL ABOUT EARTHQUAKE PREP:
- What you need to know about ShakeAlert, the earthquake warning system | Earthquake Ready or Not
- What can happen to our power grids after an earthquake? | Earthquake Ready or Not
- Why a disaster kit will help you survive the next big one | Earthquake Ready or Not
- What you need to know about the San Andreas fault | Earthquake Ready or Not
- The science of forecasting earthquakes | Earthquake Ready or Not
- How vulnerable is California to tsunamis? | Earthquake Ready or Not
WATCH MORE: Earthquakes come without warning and if you aren’t prepared by the time the big one hits, you will be too late. The 2019 earthquake near Ridgecrest, California shined a spotlight on the need to be prepared with a disaster kit and a plan. A little work now could help you survive the next quake.
