After all the warnings the West Coast has received over the last 24 months from seismologists, scientists, and other experts a recent report says, the western state is ill-prepared and local officials, as well as major businesses, need to face that reality to “prevent the inevitable disaster from becoming a catastrophe.” Drafted by a group of business and policy leaders,

the report identifies several key areas that need to be addressed before a quake as strong as a magnitude 8 happens, notably aging infrastructure, water supplies and the risk of catastrophic fires. One of the biggest vulnerabilities, the report states, relates to the Cajon Pass, a narrow mountain pass where the mighty San Andreas Fault intersects with key lifelines, including freeways, railway lines, gas and petroleum pipelines as well as electric lines. FULL STORY