National Real Estate: There's a New New App That Can Assess Earthquake Risk in Your Neighborhood

Cool news! California Geological Survey is helping state residents learn how close they live to a fault line, using interactive maps that can be accessed via smartphone.

• You can type in an address or share their location to see the nearest high-risk earthquake zone.

• The maps also reveal the risk of liquefaction—when land loses its stiffness under the stress of an earthquake and becomes like quicksand—or a landslide.

• The maps allow users to zoom in on a property and see which parcels of land could be affected by earthquake hazards. The CGS says the main point of the maps is to give developers and prospective home buyers more information about a property’s disaster risks.

Don't worry, before you buy your property, you'll get a hazard report for the property that will tell you all about the location and potential natural and man-made hazards that might exist. This additional app is just a great tool to get a preliminary understanding of the geological makeup of the area.

To access the EQ Zapp, visit conservation.ca.gov/cgs.

Source: “Worried About Being on Top of an Earthquake Fault? New California Maps Will Let You Know on a Smartphone,” Los Angeles Times (March 23, 2018)

#california #earthquake #homes #neighborhood