Federal report could lead to funding for quake monitoring

Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 | 10:04 a.m.

Two Nevada earthquake experts say a new federal assessment that the state and Las Vegas are at high risk for major quake damages could result in better monitoring for growing urban areas.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency released on Wednesday a hazard estimate that placed Nevada in the top five states at greatest risk from earthquakes. California, Washington, Oregon and New York were the other four.

Nevada could lose an average of $55 million a year -- $28 million in Las Vegas and $18 million in Reno -- each year as the result of a major quake. The losses do not include disruption of roads, utilities or tourism.

"We cannot demonstrate that FEMA's estimates are wrong in its main conclusions," John Anderson, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory in Reno, said, although he criticized the federal report for using 1990 population data.

"Las Vegas has never been a priority for seismic monitoring, either with Nevada or federal support," Anderson said. "It is our hope that this will change in the near future."

Only 15 percent of the state has been closely reviewed, so the potential damage from earthquakes could be much higher, said Jonathan Price, state geologist and director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology.

More study of major earthquake faults in the state is also needed, Price said.

Both scientists said that the U.S. Geological Survey may get funding from Congress to expand the Advanced National Seismic System to include Nevada.

The Nevada Seismological Lab has installed a minimal monitoring network around Las Vegas, but without more federal support an adequate system cannot be installed.