US: 'moderate' Los Angeles quake highlights need for preparation

'Although there is no such thing as an earthquake-proof building...proper seismic retrofitting can give buildings a fighting chance against a sizeable earthquake,' said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on 7 July, prior to the 5.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the Los Angeles area on 29 July 2008.

Experts agree that an earthquake as strong as the one that struck the Northridge area in 1994 (magnitude 6.7) will hit Los Angeles within 30 years; spending for preparedness has risen steadily over the last years, and well spread seismic building and retrofitting have drastically reduced the city's vulnerability to quakes.