Public Support and Priorities for Seismic Rehabilitation in the East Bay Region of Northern California

A mail survey was conducted on a sample of 727 residents of Alameda County, CA. The goals of the study were to obtain data on public perceptions of likely damage and disruption following a Bay Area earthquake, judgments concerning the criticality of various elements in the built environment, and willingness to pay for programs to strengthen structures and lifelines. Alameda County residents expect significant damage in the event of a major earthquake, and they have clear priorities regarding which structures and systems must remain operational should an earthquake occur. Most residents are willing to invest additional funds in seismic safety programs, particularly programs targeting health- and safety-related structures, such as major hospitals, fire stations, and critical government buildings. Logistic regression analyses identified a number of predictors of support for seismic safety programs. The most significant predictors of overall willingness to pay for seismic upgrading were education, age (which was negatively associated with willingness to pay), trust in California state government, household preparedness, and earthquake risk perception. 1