Introduction to the Cancellation of FEMA Grants

The Trump administration has canceled $33 million worth of federal funds meant to help pay for earthquake retrofits in California — sparking “grave concern” and a call to reconsider from one of the state’s highest elected officials.

The Concerns of California Officials

In a letter dated Wednesday, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) urged U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to reinstate the funds, which would’ve been used to strengthen between 750 and 1,500 apartment buildings. “In California, earthquakes are not a question of if, but when,” Schiff wrote in his letter, addressed to both Noem and David Richardson, a senior official performing the duties of the FEMA administrator. “This move must be reversed before tragedy strikes next.”

The Importance of Earthquake Retrofits

The grants — originally green-lit through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is part of Noem’s department — were meant to help retrofit the kind of vulnerable apartment buildings that crushed people to death when they collapsed during California’s last major urban earthquakes. These types of apartment buildings are ubiquitous across California’s major cities. They have flimsy supports on the ground story that prop up carports, garages or storefronts and can snap when shaken from side to side in an earthquake. Soft story apartments can collapse because the skinny poles holding up the carports can snap when shaken.
(Raoul Rañoa / Los Angeles Times)

The Cancellation of the BRIC Program

FEMA issued a statement on April 4 announcing the cancellation of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, known as BRIC, that would have funded the California earthquake retrofits. “The BRIC program was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program. It was more concerned with political agendas than helping Americans affected by natural disasters. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, we are committed to ensuring that Americans in crisis can get the help and resources they need,” the agency’s statement said.

The History of Soft-Story Apartment Buildings

Officials and scientists have known for decades of the earthquake danger posed by soft-story apartment buildings. Autopsy reports indicate that a number of those killed in these apartment collapses during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1994 Northridge earthquake died from suffocation. The weight of debris made it impossible for them to breathe. Accounts from the collapse of the three-story, 163-unit Northridge Meadows apartment building in 1994 describe some victims in ground-floor units slowly dying in their beds, not able to breathe as the weight of the upper two stories pressed upon them.
(J.K. Nakata / U.S. Geological Survey)

The Impact of the Cancellation

Sixteen people, ranging from age 14 to 80, died in the Northridge Meadows collapse. In all, that magnitude 6.7 earthquake seriously damaged or destroyed about 200 soft-story buildings across the Los Angeles area. A U.S. Geological Survey report published in 1998 said that “soft-story” apartments were “surprisingly vulnerable to becoming uninhabitable” in both the 1989 and 1994 earthquakes. Of the 16,000 housing units rendered uninhabitable in the Loma Prieta earthquake, 7,000 were soft-story. The same was true of 11,000 out of the 48,000 units made uninhabitable in the Northridge quake. Retrofits to soft-story apartments can be accomplished by adding steel frames to the ground story.
(Raoul Rañoa / Los Angeles Times)

The Response from California Officials

“By eliminating this critical source of federal funding, we are leaving those who can least afford it at the greatest risk of displacement, which could cost lives,” Schiff wrote in his letter. Southern California cities that have passed mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinances include Los Angeles, Torrance, Pasadena, Burbank, Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. In Northern California, they include San José, San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Berkeley, Albany and Mill Valley.

The Future of the BRIC Program

BRIC grant funds that haven’t yet been distributed to states, tribes, territories or local communities would be returned to the U.S. Treasury or FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, according to the agency. The statement said about $882 million will be returned or reapportioned by Congress in the next fiscal year. “FEMA estimates more than $3.6 billion will remain in the Disaster Relief Fund to assist with disaster response and recovery for communities and survivors,” the statement said.

Conclusion

The cancellation of the BRIC program and the loss of federal funding for earthquake retrofits in California is a significant concern for the state’s officials and residents. The importance of retrofitting vulnerable apartment buildings cannot be overstated, and the loss of funding will put many lives at risk. It is essential for the federal government to reconsider the cancellation of the BRIC program and provide the necessary funding to support earthquake retrofitting efforts in California.

FAQs

Q: What is the BRIC program?
A: The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program is a federal program that provides funding for projects that seek to reduce the risk from future natural disasters.
Q: Why was the BRIC program canceled?
A: The BRIC program was canceled by the Trump administration, which claimed that it was a wasteful and ineffective program.
Q: How much funding was allocated to California for earthquake retrofits?
A: $33 million in federal funds was allocated to California for earthquake retrofits, which would have been used to strengthen between 750 and 1,500 apartment buildings.
Q: What is the risk of not retrofitting soft-story apartment buildings?
A: The risk of not retrofitting soft-story apartment buildings is significant, as they can collapse during earthquakes, causing loss of life and property damage.
Q: Which cities in California have passed mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinances?
A: Southern California cities that have passed mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinances include Los Angeles, Torrance, Pasadena, Burbank, Santa Monica, Culver City, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. In Northern California, they include San José, San Francisco, Oakland, Fremont, Berkeley, Albany and Mill Valley.