EARTHQUAKES

Overview

Although New York City does not sit on a major fault system, like the San Andreas in California, earthquakes are possible here.

The likelihood that a strong earthquake will occur is moderate, but the risk is heightened by New York City’s population density, the scale of its built environment, the interdependencies of its critical infrastructure systems, the age of its infrastructure, and the high proportion of buildings that were built before seismic design provisions were adopted in City building codes in 1995.

In the future, the impact of any earthquake affecting New York City should be diminished due to improved building construction codes and infrastructure replacement initiatives.

Find out more about earthquakes:

• • What is the Hazard?
  • What is the Risk?
  • How to Manage the Risk?

Earthquake – Bibliography