Seattle's Building Codes Vs. Earthquakes

Good building codes helped save Seattle from major earthquake damage.

1 minute read

March 2, 2001, 5:00 AM PST

Damage from the February 28, 2001 magnitude 6.8 earthquake may reach into the billions of dollars, yet only one person died and few buildings had significant structural damage. "By contrast, the Kobe temblor left more than 6,000 people dead and turned the city inside out. Seattle's relative good fortune came from a combination of factors, including improved building codes and increased preparedness."

Thanks to Chris Steins

FULL STORY: Why Seattle's big quake had little impact

Friday, March 2, 2001 in The Christian Science Monitor

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