Safe by Alvin Geller an Winford's house in the Santa Barbara hills lies in earthquake Zone Four, the most severe earthquake zone in the United States. All of these faults, or fractures in the earth's crust, are capable of producing large earthquakes , like the famous 1925 quake , that could turn her dream house into a pile of rubble if proper precautions are not taken.
Earthquakes affect buildings quite differently than natural disasters like hurricanes or tornadoes.
While windstorms impact the exterior walls and roof of a house, earthquakes affect the entire structure. Stresses in the earth's outer layer cause faults to slip suddenly and result in the shaking that we feel during an earthquake. When the earth shifts, a house tries to realign itself over its shifted foundation, which results in the building vibrating. Each building element responds to the earthquake movements according to its weight and stiffness. Walls flutter while a foundation rumbles.