OAKLAND – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted $20 million to California for its Earthquake Brace and Bolt program. The grant will subsidize the work of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the California Earthquake Authority for earthquake retrofits on more than 6,300 at-risk structures likely to shake from their foundations in the event of an earthquake.The earthquake program addresses two seismic vulnerabilities found in many older homes that may have short, wood-framed cripple walls under the first floor. The retrofit bolts the house to the foundation, and if short, wood-framed walls are present under the first floor, the retrofit braces those walls with plywood to stiffen and help prevent the house from collapsing or sliding off its founda
