Last month, the House Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, which I chair, held a hearing on earthquakes -- what we know, what we don't know, and how we can best prepare for and respond to these inevitable events.

Unfortunately, the hearing was all too timely due to the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that hit China on May 12. Our Valley also had an earthquake hit on May 1, just outside Bakersfield. Thankfully, no one was killed as a result of that quake, and while the damage was very low, many of us began to wonder what would have happened if a bigger quake hit and the Isabella Dam were to break open.

Coalinga experienced the devastating effects of a 6.4 magnitude earthquake on May 2, 1983. I remember being in Sacramento that day, and then observing the estimated $10 million in property damage in downtown Coalinga later that afternoon.

The more we can prepare today, the better off we will be when an earthquake does strike.

The United States has been fortunate in not suffering staggering casualty figures from earthquakes -- since 1995, there have only been three earthquake-related fatalities in the United States. Even during those earthquakes that did cause significant loss of life, such as the 1989 Loma Prieta quake and the 1994 Northridge quake, the death toll was nowhere near the levels that we have seen recently from seismic activity in China and Indonesia.

This is not simply good geological luck, but rather due to the stronger building codes that have been implemented in seismically-active areas of this country such as California.

However, while Californians are better prepared for earthquakes, our friends in other at-risk parts of the United States, such as the lower Mississippi Valley, may not be. The most recent National Seismic Hazard Maps show that earthquakes are a serious threat in 46 states. Residents and buildings are not prepared for major earthquakes, and a powerful quake could cause untold levels of death and destruction.

While we cannot predict when and where an earthquake will strike, we do know that California is virtually certain to have a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake within the next 30 years. Should this quake or a larger one strike in Southern California, our state could see up to $500 billion in damages.

As frightening as this scenario sounds, our hearing showed that our state and local communities are preparing for a quake of this magnitude.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) released their scenario for the Great Southern California Shakeout, a massive emergency response exercise scheduled to take place this November.

The scenario consists of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake along the southern San Andreas Fault, triggering region-wide fires, landslides, and critical infrastructure damage. It is not a "worst-case" scenario, and it is not a prediction; but it is a way that the USGS is coming together with state and local partners to look at a realistic depiction of a major earthquake, so that we can minimize loss of life and infrastructure damage.

Our nation needs more states to participate in these types of studies and exercises. My friends from the Midwest often ask me how we Californians live with all the earthquakes. But they should be asking themselves the same question and preparing for an earthquake just as they prepare for tornados. In April of this year, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck near the Illinois-Indiana border. Clearly, Californians are not the only ones facing this threat.

Earthquakes can be costly and deadly natural disasters. We cannot prevent them, but we can ready ourselves to minimize and handle the damage they cause.

Federal, state, and local governments need to work with organizations like the United States Geological Survey to learn more about local seismic hazards, understanding the damage that a big quake might cause, and informing residents how to be ready for the next big earthquake.

(June 21, 2008)