Progress toward a safer future since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

Abstract

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake interrupted several decades of seismic tranquility in the San Francisco Bay Area. It caused damage throughout the region and was a wakeup call to prepare for potentially even more damaging future quakes. Since 1989, the work of the U.S. Geological Survey and many other organizations has improved the understanding of the seismic threat in the Bay Area, promoted awareness of earthquake hazards, and contributed to more effective strategies to reduce earthquake losses. These collective efforts will help reduce the impact of future large earthquakes in the Bay Area.