Hi Petra:

That's some good background info. and makes the point that nobody's looking out for you except maybe yourself (and God)....

It seems that most people are relying on luck and the seat of their pants to get through any situation like that....

I think with lawsuits going off all the time that maybe the next big quake around may cause some claims being made...especially if the city paid out $50K per crushed person...what a nice precedent. This should motiviate municipalities to at least inform people as to how they could self-identify the shortfalls in their building structures.

Apparently the school in Italy had a poorly supported concrete 2nd floor which anybody could spot a mile away.... Just a few steel I-beams could have made a big difference....

Oh well...risk is measured differently by different people...and I'm sure most people think that 'it' will happen to somebody else.