We already know that a massive earthquake rivaling the monstrous 7-point-8 magnitude quake that hit southern Turkey could strike here in California along the infamous San Andreas fault.

The question is, will buildings across the state fare any better in surviving such violent movement?

In Turkey and Syria, hundreds of buildings have collapsed from the initial quake and its aftershocks, with disastrous consequences .... as the death toll approaches 20-thousand.

Are our high rises, our apartment buildings and our infrastructure any better prepared?

In theory the building codes and construction standards are much higher here in California than in Turkey......but how confident are we that will make a difference from such a huge quake?

David Cocke is a structural engineer and the founder and President of Structural Focus in Gardena ... he's also president of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute