hough

It might be hard to imagine today, but prior to 1925, “there was still a debate at that time about how severe earthquake hazard was in Southern California, and Los Angeles, in particular,” said Susan Hough, a seismologist with the U.S.

The argument was, “yeah, you have earthquakes in California, but the effects aren’t as wide,” Hough said.

“In terms of public awareness and risk reduction, 1925 didn’t move the needle as much as it might have,” Hough said.

Additionally, “there was some effort by the business interests to downplay the hazard,” Hough said.

They’re a nuisance, but they don’t do any damage,’” Hough said.