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People are more likely to be killed by flying glass in the Financial District than skyscrapers collapsing. A good approximation of how far glass can be thrown d

People are more likely to be killed by flying glass in the Financial District than skyscrapers collapsing. A good approximation of how far glass can be thrown downtown is roughly 2x building height due to the winds coming off the bay.

Spooky23 9y ago
Is that supposed to make it better? I have friends who unfortunately got to witness what happens when plate glass comes down. They can barely talk about it. It also means that the injured and trapped folks in the high rises are going to be without aid in buildings with dead mechanicals for awhile.
- komali2 9y ago
  I think he's saying, in an earthquake, stay inside. A lot of people think running into the street is what you wanna do. It is, in like, Mountain View maybe. Realistically you want to just jump under the nearest thing you can and hope for the best. If you're in the Financial District in the middle of the street... well your friends apparently have seen what that'll look like.
  - almost_usual 9y ago
    Right, that was the point I was trying to make, perhaps I didn't state it well. Seek shelter immediately and try to avoid flying glass. I would also avoid UMBs (Unreinforced Masonary Buildings) these buildings WILL collapse. They aren't as common in FiDi but are all over Soma, Chinatown, and the Tenderloin.
    - robocat 9y ago
      Yeah. Lots of stuff comes from above if you are on the street. Going inside a building is a good bet. "35 deaths and many injuries from falling masonry during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Buildings with dangerous parapets, facades and verandahs" [1]. That was 20% of total deaths. Certainly near a skyscraper, you want to go inside, since if it pancakes, being outside won't help anyway - debris will hurtle horizontally. [1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/71738867/property-council-swings-in-behind-quakeprompted-masonry-changes https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/71738867/property-council-s...
  - Gibbon1 9y ago
    > like, Mountain View maybe During the Loma Prieta Earthquake a bunch of my coworkers fled the building and took shelter in the parking lot under the power lines.

Spooky23 9y ago

Is that supposed to make it better? I have friends who unfortunately got to witness what happens when plate glass comes down. They can barely talk about it. It also means that the injured and trapped folks in the high rises are going to be without aid in buildings with dead mechanicals for awhile.

komali2 9y ago
I think he's saying, in an earthquake, stay inside. A lot of people think running into the street is what you wanna do. It is, in like, Mountain View maybe. Realistically you want to just jump under the nearest thing you can and hope for the best. If you're in the Financial District in the middle of the street... well your friends apparently have seen what that'll look like.
- almost_usual 9y ago
  Right, that was the point I was trying to make, perhaps I didn't state it well. Seek shelter immediately and try to avoid flying glass. I would also avoid UMBs (Unreinforced Masonary Buildings) these buildings WILL collapse. They aren't as common in FiDi but are all over Soma, Chinatown, and the Tenderloin.
  - robocat 9y ago
    Yeah. Lots of stuff comes from above if you are on the street. Going inside a building is a good bet. "35 deaths and many injuries from falling masonry during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Buildings with dangerous parapets, facades and verandahs" [1]. That was 20% of total deaths. Certainly near a skyscraper, you want to go inside, since if it pancakes, being outside won't help anyway - debris will hurtle horizontally. [1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/71738867/property-council-swings-in-behind-quakeprompted-masonry-changes https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/71738867/property-council-s...
- Gibbon1 9y ago
  > like, Mountain View maybe During the Loma Prieta Earthquake a bunch of my coworkers fled the building and took shelter in the parking lot under the power lines.