Hollister sidewalk shows the stress from the shifting Calaveras Fault (in foreground). Photo by Brea Spencer.
Hollister sidewalk shows the stress from the shifting Calaveras Fault (in foreground). Photo by Brea Spencer.

This article was written by BenitoLink intern Brea Spencer. Lea este artículo en español aquí.

Aimed at providing grant funding through a program that protects homes against seismic activity, the California Residential Mitigation Program opened its registration period on Aug. 20.

Homeowners, and now rental property owners, can receive up to $3,000 to retrofit their homes through the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program, which estimates the total cost of a retrofit could be as much as $7,000. 

The registration period is open through Oct. 1.

California Earthquake Authority chief mitigation officer Janiele Maffei said expanding registration to include rental property owners is important because, “about a quarter of single-family dwellings in California are rentals and so this is clearly a part of the population that we want to protect just as much as owner-occupied.”

Maffei, a structural engineer by trade, said the retrofit involves bolting the foundation to the frame of the house and bracing ‘cripple walls’ in the crawl space under the house with plywood. 

The goal of the retrofit is to keep a home from detaching from its foundation during an earthquake.

“San Benito County residents should know it’s earthquake country,” Maffei said, adding that this explains why county residents are eligible for the grant.

This is the second round of registration for the grant program this year. 

According to the earthquake authority, 19,000 homeowners applied for funding in January, “showing strong statewide demand for seismic safety upgrades.”

According to the mitigation program website, homeowners with an annual household income of less than $89,040 may be eligible for a supplemental grant that could cover up to 100% of the retrofit cost.

After the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, which shook Hollister, the Central Coast and greater Bay Area for about 20 seconds, there was an estimated $10 billion in damage, according to the California Department of Conservation. 

The department adds that across the state 18,306 houses were damaged and 963 were destroyed. The Loma Prieta earthquake was estimated to have reached a magnitude of about 6.9.

Although earthquakes cannot yet be predicted, there are some indicators that the Calaveras faultline, which runs directly through Hollister, is likely to see more activity compared to the San Andreas faultline, which runs through San Juan Bautista, according to the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast. 

The forecast also states that its model indicates “the Calaveras Fault shows a three-fold increase in [magnitude] 6.7 earthquake likelihoods.”

“The longer the fault, the greater the earthquake magnitude that it is capable of producing,” said Maffei, and while the Calaveras Fault may not be as long as the San Andreas, the two intersect.

“The problem is that if a fault ruptures and it’s very close to [another fault], and particularly if it intersects with another fault, it is very capable of causing an earthquake on that other fault.”

The Earthquake Brace and Bolt program is intended to prevent homeowners from incurring damages to their home due to an earthquake by making their homes “earthquake-resistant,” according to the California Residential Mitigation Program website.

Maffei said there are seven steps to earthquake safety identified by the Earthquake Country Alliance. The Earthquake Brace and Bolt program is a part of its step four, which focuses on reducing financial hardship.
Homes are eligible for the program if they were built before 1980, have a wood frame and raised foundation. Homeowners are encouraged to apply here.

The Calaveras Faultline runs directly through the city of Hollister, and can be seen in places like Sixth street, where the sidewalk has been warped by seismic activity. Photo by Brea Spencer.
The Calaveras Faultline runs directly through the city of Hollister, and can be seen in places like Sixth street, where the sidewalk has been warped by seismic activity. Photo by Brea Spencer.

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