Engineers Preparing San Francisco's Waterfront For Inevitable Major Earthquake
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- Port of San Francisco engineers are using climate science and earthquake predictions to prepare the foundation of the waterfront for disaster.
The northern seawall and the landfill inside form the commercial part of San Francisco's 4-mile waterfront from Fisherman's Wharf to Mission Creek.
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Even though it's about 100 feet wide, it can move in an earthquake.
"We're concerned about assets that are in close proximity to the seawall," said Port of San Francisco Engineer Steven Reel. "The Embarcadero Promenade is over the seawall, Embarcadero roadway and the F line are within the vicinity."
He's working under the USGS assumption that there's a 72 percent chance in the next 40 years of one or more major earthquakes in the Bay Area.
"It's going to happen and this study will tell us the vulnerability the impacts of the next earthquake," Reel said.
When the study is complete, Reel's team will make recommendations to the Port Commission early next year.
