The earthquake in Indonesia revealed one of the hazards of traveling to other countries where the building codes are not up to U.S. standards.

In California, you can be fairly confident that the hotel you're staying in will remain standing after a severe earthquake. However, the 8 floor Roa Roa Hotel in Indonesia obviously wasn't built to California standards.

 

Watch out for volcanoes too.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/...ndonesian-island-of-sulawesi-as-earlier-quake

A volcano erupted on Wednesday on the same central Indonesian island struck last week by a powerful earthquake and tsunami, and authorities warned planes about volcanic ash in the air.

Mount Soputan on Sulawesi island spewed a massive column of ash more than 6000 metres into the sky. No evacuations were immediately ordered.

A government volcanologist said it's possible the eruption was accelerated by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck on Friday

 

The recent Sulawesi, Indonesia earthquake measured a magnitude 7.5 compared with a magnitude 7.9 for the 1906 San Francisco quake.

Whilst building regulations in California might give improved resistance to quake damage – to believe that minimal loss of life and property destruction would result from a similar magnitude event within the San Francisco area, would be foolish in the extreme.

 

There are a lot of buildings in California with "soft storys" where the ground floor (such as a garage) has fewer walls and it is weaker than the upper floors with lots of walls that act as boxes. Those are the main hazard that the building agencies are trying to eliminate.

Since 1971, California has also experienced quite a few moderately severe earthquakes with epicenters below populated areas so we have a sample of what might be expected in a severe event.

 

 

Japan's 2011 Tsunami effects in Oregon.