Is Silicon Valley ready for the big one?
The Microsoft Crowdstrike outage was enough to momentarily cripple the world. But what would happen if tech giants like Meta, Google, and Apple faced disaster? Can Silicon Valley survive an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault Line?
Today, Silicon Valley serves as the Olympus for the world’s greatest tech giants, housing companies like Google, Apple, Meta, and more. These companies have become indispensable in maintaining the invisible systems that keep society running. But what happens if Silicon Valley encounters a disaster it has no control over?
Underneath Silicon Valley is the San Andreas Fault Line, one of the most infamous zones for seismic activity on planet Earth. The fault line is known to build up to a devastating earthquake every 100 to 150 years. Experts agree that we are due for another Big One to hit the area.
Of course, the residents haven’t been complacent in preparing for the earthquake. Feats of engineering like the United States Geological Survey Earthquake Early Warning System keep us up to date on the seismic movements along the fault line. Buildings are slowly being updated with Base Isolators, which act as shock absorbers and reduce the amount of seismic force transferred to the building during an earthquake.
However, even these extensive measures may not be enough. Buildings may be up to modern regulations, but with an earthquake as big as the one expected, it’s still likely they will suffer extensive damage.
If the Microsoft Crowdstrike outage was enough to cripple airlines, healthcare, and other vital IT systems all over the world, what would happen if Silicon Valley is struck by a large-scale disaster? Can Silicon Valley survive an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault Line?
