A significant earthquake could make more than 25,000 buildings in San Francisco unsafe to occupy.

This level of damage would kill hundreds, injure thousands, spark numerous fires, cause a housing crisis, cripple the city’s economy, devastate tourism, and irrevocably change the character and affordability of the city. 

It would take many years—possibly up to a decade—to repair and rebuild the City.

Much of this damage is preventable.

For more information about the city’s earthquake risk, click here.

The purpose of the Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety (CAPSS) project was to provide the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection a plan of action to reduce earthquake risks.

Through a series of four major reports, the CAPSS project studied the most pressing earthquake risks facing the City and recommended seventeen important actions that San Francisco’s City government leaders should take now to reduce the consequences of future earthquakes.

The CAPSS project was launched because city leaders are deeply concerned about reducing earthquake risk before the next major earthquake strikes.

As a community effort, the CAPSS project was guided by a volunteer Advisory Committee, which included representatives from a number of neighborhood and community groups, earthquake specialists and the City of San Francisco.

The CAPSS project completed its work in December 2010, following the release of four major reports that describe San Francisco’s earthquake risk and measures to reduce it.

To read the project reports, please visit the News and Reports page of this Website.

To learn more about the history of the CAPSS project, please visit the About the Project page.