Increased Seismic Activity Rattles Californians

Valley College has taken measures in training faculty and retrofitting buildings to ensure student safety during potential earthquakes.

By: Kaia Mann, Editor-in-chief

The 6.7 Northridge earthquake of 1994, toppled over 100 of the bookshelves in Valley College’s Library. This photo was recovered from the first Valley Star paper following the quake, published Feb. 10 1994. Valley Star Photo

Los Angeles has had an unusually shaky past few months with a record-breaking 14 earthquakes magnitude 4 or higher in the past year.  

With “the big one” on everyone’s radar, Valley College students should be informed on what to do if the world starts moving under their feet.

In the wake of the recent 4.7 magnitude earthquake in Malibu on Sept. 12, reports of frequent and unusual seismic activity over the past year have heightened awareness and anxiety about earthquakes. Although Valley Glen, about 30 miles from the quake’s epicenter, only felt a brief jolt, the tremor may still have left students feeling uneasy. 

“We have the San Andreas Fault, and it’s been moving a lot so it does kinda worry you a lot more,” said Nanci Santos, an education major. “Everyone’s always talking about the big one coming, these little ones might lead up to the big one, so it’s more scary now that they are happening so often.” 

The college’s website outlines emergency response plans including fires, bomb threats, and active shooters. In the event of an earthquake, Valley advises students to “duck and cover and hold,” ensuring they remain away from windows and hanging fixtures indoors, and to steer clear of power lines and buildings if outdoors.

After shaking stops, students and faculty are instructed to exit buildings and meet up at one of the three emergency assembly areas on campus. These zones include the sports stadium, and parking lots A and B. 

“First thing to do if there is an earthquake is to take cover and then calmly exit the buildings. They (students and faculty) will be directed on what to do from there,” said President Barry Gribbons on the school’s earthquake protocol. “The college will immediately undergo  an assessment of the campus including all of the buildings to identify any safety issues or anyone who needs assistance.”

The last major earthquake to rattle Southern California was the infamous 6.7 Northridge quake of 1994. The quake resulted in 57 deaths, thousands of injuries and billions of dollars in damages. 

The Northridge quake left a lasting emotional impact on students and faculty at Valley, as documented in an archived edition of the Valley Star. This publication reported on the extensive damage the college sustained, particularly highlighting the library, where over 100 bookcases were destroyed, rendering significant portions of the building unusable.

Reflecting on her experience at the epicenter of the quake, former Valley student Stacy Steele told the Valley Star in 1994, “I’m not sure how we got down, but we made it out and I just sat there (on the sidewalk) in shock and started to shake uncontrollably.”

Community colleges have to comply with the Field Act, which mandates earthquake resistant construction, and Division of the State Architect-certified inspectors to oversee construction. Valley is “built to a very high seismic standard” according to Gribbons, “even a higher standard than CSU’s and UC’s”

Valley administration has undergone the community emergency response training (CERT) training to aid in any emergency the college faces. The training includes basic information one should know when navigating an emergency such as first-aid, gas line management and fire safety. 

California residents are encouraged to secure heavy and potential hazardous objects as well as keep a stash of food and water in case of an earthquake. A resource that can be utilized is the MyShake App that uses ground motion monitoring to send alerts before or during shaking. The speed in which this alert is delivered depends on the distance from the quake’s epicenter. 

“Our college and city command team has spent a lot of time in training and preparation, starting just before the pandemic,” said Gribbons. “We developed a lot of capacity during that time to be able to respond to emergencies.”