A 1989 RETROSPECTIVE : QUAKE AFTERSHOCKS

The deadly consequences of the Bay Area temblor shook the Southland, spurring fund-raising drives and a call for public measures to better prepare earthquake-prone Los Angeles for what scientists believe is the inevitable. As recently as last April, Los Angeles voters had rejected a $100-million bond issue that would have brought an estimated 15,000 brick buildings--many of them in the city’s poorest neighborhoods--up to earthquake-safety standards. A similar measure will now be placed on next year’s municipal ballot and city officials say they will push more strongly for its passage. Moreover, an earthquake-safety committee has been appointed by the Los Angeles City Council to identify additional unsound structures and find sources to finance their repair.