Engineers, Building Inspectors Scour Napa Neighborhoods For Damage From Quake
NAPA (CBS SF) -- Structural engineers and building inspectors fanned out through Napa on Monday to search for additional damage from Sunday morning's magnitude 6.0 earthquake.
They looked for damage such as downed chimney bricks and visible cracks. In one neighborhood, what stopped them was a sidewalk buckling in several spots.
Then they walked around the property, looking for more signs of damage.
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"We wanted to just trace it to make sure there wasn't anything visible in the back yard," said Doug Litchfield of the Structural Engineers Association.
The sidewalk upheaval could mean water or gas pipeline breaks. Inspectors noted anything abnormal that may call for a second inspection.
Homeowner George Dennis is worried when the city turns the water back on full force. "When they bring all this pipework up to pressure, natural pressure that they use, are we gonna expect episodes in the street?" Dennis asked.
The force of Sunday's quake moved Dennis' home, but it passes inspection.
"The foundation is intact. You can see there was some sliding with the slab and the soil outside," Litchfield said.
"It's good news to have this city have people like that come out and check, especially if there's structural damage in the street obviously, to make sure the houses are safe," Dennis said.
The inspectors hope to finish all the visual assessments by Tuesday.
