Bill Text: CA SCR77 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Enrolled

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: California Earthquake Preparedness Month.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-05-09 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 19, Statutes of 2012. [SCR77 Detail]

Download: California-2011-SCR77-Enrolled.html

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BILL NUMBER: SCR 77	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	ADOPTED IN SENATE  APRIL 9, 2012
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 3, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Corbett
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Alquist)

                        MARCH 20, 2012

   Relative to California Earthquake Preparedness Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 77, Corbett. California Earthquake Preparedness Month.
   This bill would declare the month of April 2012 as California
Earthquake Preparedness Month, and would urge all Californians to
engage in activities related to earthquake preparedness during the
month.



   WHEREAS, In California, on average, there are 37,300 earthquakes
that are recorded and analyzed per year, amounting to over 100
earthquakes per day; and
   WHEREAS, There are 15,000 fault lines that lay across California,
with the San Andreas and the Hayward Faults being significantly
active fault zones; and
   WHEREAS, California has the most damaging earthquakes of any state
in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, California is known to be one of two states that record
the most earthquakes in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, Of the 15 largest earthquakes documented in the
continental United States, eight have occurred in California; and
   WHEREAS, The majority of Californians live within 20 miles of a
major earthquake fault; and
   WHEREAS, There is a probability of more than 99 percent that in
the next 30 years Californians will experience one or more magnitude
6.7 or greater quakes, potentially capable of causing extensive
damage and loss of life; and
   WHEREAS, The United States Geological Survey estimates that there
is a 62 percent chance that a major earthquake will strike the Bay
Area within the next 30 years; and
   WHEREAS, The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates, on
average, that the annual capital losses due to earthquakes are
$4,400,000,000 and of that total, $3,300,000,000 of those losses
occur in California alone; and
   WHEREAS, The danger posed by earthquakes to people is not solely
isolated to land, but also from the oceans in the form of tsunamis;
and
   WHEREAS, Tsunamis have hit the west coast on numerous occasions,
including the 1946 Aleutian tsunami that produced wave heights of 12
to 16 feet at Half Moon Bay, Muir Beach, Arena Cove, and Santa Cruz,
California; the 1960 Chilean tsunami that produced wave heights of 12
feet at Crescent City, California; and the 1964 Alaskan tsunami that
generated waves of more than 20 feet at Crescent City, California,
causing $7,500,000 in damage and 11 deaths; and
   WHEREAS, The March 2011 earthquake in Japan created a tsunami that
hit the coasts of California causing over $36,000,000 in damage
statewide to harbors located in the Counties of Del Norte, Monterey,
and Santa Cruz; and
   WHEREAS, Earthquakes have resulted in loss of life, significant
property damage, and indirect costs; and
   WHEREAS, Mitigating measures can save lives, reduce property
damage, and alleviate traffic and economic dislocation caused by
earthquakes; and
   WHEREAS, The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that
for every dollar spent on earthquake mitigation, on average, $4 are
saved if an earthquake occurs; and
   WHEREAS, Education about the danger of earthquakes in California
and the value of mitigation is imperative to taking action at the
city, county, and state levels of government; and
   WHEREAS, It is important for these levels of government to work
cooperatively with citizens, each other, the federal government, and
other nations to mitigate damage caused by earthquakes; and
   WHEREAS, It is important for utilities and private businesses to
understand the impacts of an earthquake and be properly prepared and
informed of potential risks; and
   WHEREAS, It is vital that we examine the lessons learned from
recent earthquakes in Baja, as well as in the nations of Japan and
Chile, and that we share our knowledge with other states and nations;
now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares the month of
April 2012 as California Earthquake Preparedness Month, and urges
all Californians to engage in education, evaluation of seismic
hazards, mitigation, safety activities, and the exchange of
information related to earthquake preparedness and with other states
and nations during the month; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.