The nation’s Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program would get a modest boost in funding and some expanded responsibilities under a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and a colleague from another earthquake-prone state, Sen. Alex Padila, D-California, on Wednesday.
The Murkowski-Padilla bill would reauthorize the program for five years. It proposes to appropriate $175.4 million per year to the program for fiscal years 2024 through 2028. Of that, about $100 million would go to the U.S. Geological Survey, $58 million to the National Science Foundation and the remainder split between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The prior reauthorization set funding at $171.65 million per year across the four federal agencies for 2018 to 2023, though the 2023 funding was slightly less than that, said Joe Plesha, a spokesperson for Murkowski.
The Murkowski-Padilla bill proposes some updates to the program.
One would direct state and local governments and entities to create inventories of buildings and structures at high risk of earthquakes.
The bill would also expand the definition of “seismic events” to include earthquake-caused tsunamis. Along with tsunamis, it proposes to direct the agencies to consider other hazards associated with earthquakes, including liquefaction, landslides, structure fires and “the compounding effects of climate on these hazards,” along with potential mitigation measures.
The bill would also add tribal governments to the list of state and local entities participating in the program and receiving technical assistance.
For Alaska, earthquake safety is an important subject. About a tenth of the world’s earthquakes occur in Alaska. Events include the world’s second-largest earthquake on record, the magnitude 9.2 Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. Since 1900, about 1,000 earthquakes a month have happened in Alaska, according to the Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission.
A 2021 study of damages in and near Anchorage caused by the magnitude 7.1 quake of 2018 recommended several policy changes to improve building safety. The study found that in general, buildings constructed after 1990 fared better than older structures because safety codes were more strictly enforced starting then. Damages in outlying communities, particularly the suburban areas of Eagle River and Chugiak, were greater, and the study noted that code compliance and inspections are not required there, even for larger commercial buildings. In all, the 2018 earthquake “was not a sufficient test to assess the actual seismic vulnerability of Southcentral Alaska’s built environment,” and numerous hazards remain, said the study, led by Wael Hassan of the University of Alaska Anchorage.
In a statement, Murkowski referred to the 1964 and 2018 events, both of which struck Southcentral Alaska, the state’s most populous region.
“Alaska is no stranger to massive earthquakes that can cause serious damage to our communities. From the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, the 7.1 earthquake in 2018, to the thousands of smaller quakes that rattle our state each year—it’s critical we invest in programs that keep us prepared and ready to respond to disaster. That’s why I’m proud to join Senator Padilla of California on the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act, which will modernize earthquake safety programs in western states, reinforcing our readiness for future seismic activity,” Murkowski said in the statement.
Padilla, in the statement issued by Murkowski’s office, cited California’s vulnerabilities.
“It is not a matter of if, but when the next major earthquake strikes, and Californians know the importance of staying prepared,” he said. “The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program supports crucial tools like the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System, works to advance scientific understanding of earthquakes, and strengthens earthquake resilience in communities nationwide. This is a bipartisan effort, and with the safety of our communities at stake, we must reauthorize this critical program as soon as possible.”
Nationally, annual earthquake losses to national building stock are estimated at $14.7 billion and total national economic exposure to earthquake losses of over $107 trillion, of which over 29% is in California, according to a FEMA report issued in April.