As far as the natural disasters like the fires go, how safe or dangerous is it to live in Los Angeles?

Show all answers

Peedlepup

Please allow me to cut through all the crap about natural disasters, and the Los Angeles area. Fires and mud slides are an annual event here to one degree or another. They happen mainly in areas that are "hilly". These are areas where lots of vegetation grows wild so in the hot, dry summers it may catch fire and burn. This leaves the hill sides bare so that in the winter rainy season mud slides may occur. It happens every year. If you want to avoid this problem, don't live in a hilly area of Los Angeles like most of us who do not. In most of the Los Angeles basin it's relatively flat so we don't have this problem.

As for earthquakes, they happen all the time, but most are so small that you don't really notice them. About every 15 years or so there will be a somewhat strong one, but again how it effects you depends on where you live. Most earthquakes strong enough to feel are over with within 15-30 seconds so most of us are willing to "take the risk".

As far as moving to California is concerned, the 3 fastest growing states (both in population and in jobs created) currently are, in order: Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.

Obviousman

Don't be ruled by fear! TV news knows that fear sells. If they were to broadcast, every single day, the weather in LA, people would be BORED to death, and tune out. RAIN is a major news event here.

The events you hear about only affect the smallest fraction of the population for the most part. People who live in Malibu despite the fact that it is prone to fires. And when you get winter rain right after a big autumn fire, you get mudslides. It may affect dozens of people, when there are MILLIONS here.
Even something as large as the Northridge Quake of '94 was only a minor inconvenience to the vast majority of LA.

So don't give in to the fear, just don't move to Malibu, and you'll be FINE.

Liberalgal

Really, in the state the environment is in right now, no where is considered safe. Tornadoes in January in the midwest, the possibility of earthquakes everythwhere, the liklehood of a tsunami on the west coast, really everywhere faces some dangerous chances for natural disasters.

jordannn

I live in Southern California, just south of LA and our are was hit pretty hard by the fires. Honestly though, I feel safe knowing there's always going to be somewhere to evacuate to if the situation warrants it.

Tony

another poster said "There are natural phenomenon anywhere you live. If you have a lot of money and can afford to live in the hills (that would be the million + range for the houses,) you will not have to worry about mudslides and forest fires. "

The opposite is true. If you live in the hills those are the only places that get the fires and mudslides.

The natural distasters here affect such a small portion of the people. Even during the San Diego wildfires most fo the area was operating normally.

Pinky

FIRST OFF, I'M CALIFORNIAN KAY?
FIRES=DONE
MUDSLIDES-POSSIBLE, JUST DON'T BUY A HOUSE ON AN UNSTABLE HILL.
EARTHQUAKES- THE LAST DANGEROUS ONE WAS IN '94.

SOMEONE MENTIONED GANGS, IF YOU'RE LIVING IN LIKE COMPTON OR SOUTH CENTRAL OR SOMETHING THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT. BUT IF YOU LIVE IN THE LOCAL LA COUNTY AREA, GANGS ARE NOT HIGHLY PRESENT, THERE ARE OF COURSE BUT THEY'RE NOT DANGEROUS.

I DON'T WANT OTHER PEOPLES COMMENTS TO SCARE YOU I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO SEE IT, IF YOU HONESTLY DON'T LIKE THE MINI OCCASIONAL RECOGNIZABLE EARTHQUALES, YOU DON'T FEEL SAFE, OR WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS GO HEAD AND LEAVE AND BE HAPPY Y'KNOW?
BUT GO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE, LIVE IN CALI, LIFE IS SHORTTT. =]

diva

its no dangerous than any other big city.... but the earthquakes... I dont know.. when the big one hits I hope Im not visting there

newyorkgal71

Los Angeles is like any large, American city. There will always be danger. One must keep one's eyes and ears open, be careful and always be aware of your surroundings.
I lived in L.A., several times and it is still my favorite city.

lexy

i havent hered that much but if ur that wrrryed then dont go

Gloria Babe

It's as safe as you make it. Hey, just to put things into perspective did you know that more people die from a coconut falling on there head than being bitten by a shark. But hey, you never hear of a person dying from a coconut attack, but you do if they were attacked by a shark....

billie

Earthquakes are rare. Mudslides happen in hilly and mountainous areas. Fires happen outside the city where there's lots of dry vegetation. What's scary about LA are the gangs.

I live 40 mi. east of LA in Ontario, CA. This area is very nice. Moved here from San Diego 3 1/2 years ago.

I've never been to LA and don't care to go there. San Diego, on the other hand, is a gorgeous, safe place to live. You might want to consider it.

Good luck to you wherever you move.

Donnie Mac

The traffic and smog will get you before the other stuff.

Newmedicine

I'd say the greatest danger is being blinded by all the phony smiles.

darkdiva

There are natural phenomenon anywhere you live. If you have a lot of money and can afford to live in the hills (that would be the million + range for the houses,) you will not have to worry about mudslides and forest fires. Personally, I would take my chance on an occasional earthquake than I would a Tornado, every year, or a Hurricane, every year.

calijjbird

Los Angeles, like many westcoast cities can face a number of natural disasters. Tornado's are possible, along with flooding & windstorms.

john h

VERY dangerous. u will be in the middle of killer quake, or tsunami. the next quake is very near, but when. remember how dinosaurs became extinct?

jayhood

not only all of the above u mentioned plagues california..but they say theres always a possibitiy that it'll depart and detach itself from the rest of the country if ever in the future theres a hard hit major earthquake since cali is on the borderline between two big plates in the earth...and besides forget the disasters...the gangs alone are reason enuff to make it dangerous to live in LA or cali in general...thats a plague of locusts in itself..lol

Gwen H snow bunny ice princess

i've lived there. do not move there.the driving will kill you before the smog and earthquakes.

Ray B

I want to start out by saying that I don't live in California and I have never lived in California. I'm still in highschool but have taken classes about the Earth and different places on Earth. 1 California has the mudslides in the mountains and many many earthquakes actually every day (this is a fact) but they are so weak that no one feels them, they just like if someone jumped up and landed on the floor, just a slight shake and that's it. Californians are used to these little tremors that someone like me from the east coast who has never felt an earthquake would probably find it odd and be a little freaked out at first. 2 Not now but California is one very large earthquake away from making Nevada the new pacific coast state. A massive earthquake could slide california into the ocean (sadly). This could be in the next year, next decade, next 50 years, next century, or possibly next millenium. It's all a matter of when, not where. It's really not as serious a matter as people talk about, but it will happen, but most likely not in your lifetime.
hope this is hopeful

Here are their estimates of the number of earthquakes occurring around the
world in one year based on the size of the earthquake (I took this directly
from their webpage):

Great (Magnitude > 8.0): 1 per year
Major (Mag = 7.0 â€“ 7.9): 18
Strong (Mag = 6.0 - 6.9): 120
Moderate (Mag = 5.0 â€“ 5.9): 800
Light (Mag = 4.0 â€“ 4.9): 6,200 (estimated)
Minor (Mag = 3.0 â€“ 3.9): 49,000 (estimated)
Very Minor (Mag < 3.0): 9,000 per day (estimated)

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: