Many WA Schools Vulnerable To Earthquakes, State Study Finds

OLYMPIA, WA — A new state Department of Natural Resources study has found that scores of public school buildings in Washington are vulnerable to earthquake damage.

The study, released July 2, is based on findings collected by state geologists, who inspected 222 state schools over the past two years. Ninety-five of those schools showed a high potential of failure during a quake. The study also focused on how 15 schools in the state could be upgraded to withstand a quake, and how much that would cost.

"Our children need and deserve safe schools," public lands commissioner Hilary Franz said in a statement. "It's a question of when, not if, the next earthquake will hit. We need to be vigilant and take steps now to help keep our kids safe. Taking proactive steps to prevent damage is always smarter and more cost-effective than paying to react and rebuild after disaster strikes."

As the study notes, geologists only looked at a fraction of the state's 4,000-plus public school buildings. About 15 percent of the state's school buildings are made of unreinforced masonry, posing a higher risk of collapse during a quake.

You can read the full study here: