by Dennis Colonna
A major earthquake that strikes the South Bay could be especially damaging to the harbor area of Redondo Beach, where liquefaction could make water-heavy sand behave more like fluid than solid ground, as it did in the Northridge Earthquake of 1994.
Frank Chiella, Manhattan Beach fire battalion chief and emergency coordinator for the city, said experts studied areas of special vulnerability a couple years ago.
“There was a lot of money spent on that during the Great Shakeout of 2008, along with the U.S. Geological Survey and Cal Tech, with local civil engineers going through the area and mapping out areas that would be the most vulnerable, based on soil sediments, building age and retrofitting,” Chiella said.
“As a result, a large area map was created by those surveys that were done, so we now have preplans of areas in the South Bay that might be severely damaged by a significant earthquake,” he said.
Chiella said the harbor area stood out.
“Liquefaction would be the major problem in that area because of the water content in the soil,” he said. “Although the old sand dunes that much of Manhattan Beach rests upon would greatly magnify the shaking, it would not be subject to the liquefaction problem.”
In 1994 vehicles parked on asphalt at Redondo’s King Harbor sank into a sandy quagmire when a big bubble of sand and water rose from the earth, cracked the asphalt like an eggshell and pushed a retaining seawall about 20 feet. Damage to the marina was estimated at more than $4 million.
When the Big One hits, Chiella will stand ready to send out his troops to assist local residents. As an in-field supervisor responder, he will be quickly apprised of where the major problems have occurred, from fires to damaged buildings, and to help dispatch units to problem areas.
Chiella also heads up the Manhattan’s Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT), which consists of about 180 people ready to help local officials when a disaster hits. Most CERT members are either city residents or local businesspeople, ranging in age all the way up to 80.
In the event of a major earthquake, the city has automatic shared-aid plans with all its South Bay neighbors, including El Segundo and Torrance, in addition to some cities east of the South Bay.
If an earthquake occurs on any of the faults near the South Bay, emergency responders could be sent from other areas of Los Angeles County and beyond.
“Any shaking that is strong enough to be felt at our Fire Department immediately puts us on alert to be prepared that an emergency mode might be necessary,” Chiella said. “Once the shaking stops, we go out and check on any damage that might have occurred in the area.”
Chiella believes that because Southern California fire departments often team up to fight brushfires, they are experienced and ready to deal with mutual aid if a major temblor hits.
What to do
To prepare, Chiella suggested residents keep on hand food and water for at least three days, and perhaps even seven days, while they wait for supplies to be brought in from outside of the area.
Water supplies to his city could be affected for one to three months.
He also recommended that residents carry earthquake kits in their cars and keep their homes stocked with canned goods, water, flashlights and other necessities. The kits can be obtained from the Beach Cities Health District, local suppliers and the American Red Cross.
“When a major earthquake happens along the San Andreas Fault or any nearby South Bay faults, people tend to think that the police and fire departments will be able to fully handle all emergencies occurring within the city. But that will not be the case. We will be overwhelmed. I can’t emphasize enough that people have to be prepared on their own, not only in their homes, but with their vehicles and while at work or in school,” Chiella said.
“We live in earthquake country,” he said. “We need to be prepared.” ER
