Damage to Public Property in the Whittier Narrows Earthquake: Implications for Earthquake Insurance

Abstract

The Whittier Narrows earthquake of October 1, 1987 caused significant damage in the Los Angeles urban area. This event provided an opportunity to observe the type and amount of damage sustained by public property and to investigate the funding mechanisms used to repair the damaged facilities. Repair of earthquake damage to public property, which includes public buildings and infrastructure lifelines, is largely funded by state and federal disaster relief payments. Records of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and California Office of Emergency Services were analyzed to determine the value of damage to different classes of infrastructure and public property. Nearly half of the total damage caused by this earthquake occurred to public buildings. The fact that public buildings comprise such a large proportion of the damage is important because these structures were eligible for private earthquake insurance. This factor should be considered in developing a national earthquake insurance program.