Portland aerial

Aerial view of Portland's downtown core area, 2012. Bruce Ely/The Oregonian

(Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)

The City of Portland has released a new database showing which buildings may pose a serious risk if an earthquake hits.

The map shows buildings that are believed to be of "unreinforced masonry,' construction or URM, according to the city. Buildings designated as URM in Portland are often historically significant, but can be dangerous for occupants and the general public in the event of an earthquake.

The searchable map allows users to look up specific addresses, with URM buildings shown in gold. However, the map comes with some clear caveats from the city about its accuracy and completeness.

"The City of Portland makes no representations, express or implied as to the accuracy of this database," a message on the map reads. "There are no assurances as to whether the information presented is correct or comprehensive."

So search and draw conclusions, but with caution. See the map here or search below.

The database is a continuation of a list compiled in the 1990s, the city's Bureau of Development Services explained in a May 2 document. Some potential stumbling blocks with the database included differing or multiple addresses for a building and, in some cases, a building may have been seismically improved.

A building's appearance on the map does not directly predict what would happen in the case of a seismic event, the city said. Other factors, such as the shape of the building and the type of soil it's built on, can contribute to damage during an earthquake.

The City of Portland currently has a committee that is looking specifically at URM buildings and seismic policy. See more about the committee's work here.

The possibility of a major earthquake hitting the Pacific Northwest, and if cities are prepared, became a hot topic following the publication of a New Yorker article titled "The Really Big One" in July 2015. The author, Kathryn Schulz, won a Pulitzer in feature writing for her work.

The Oregonian/OregonLive has also compiled data on building construction and earthquake preparedness in the Portland-metro area. The interactive map shows which buildings were built prior to 1974, when Oregon adopted a statewide building code, and after seismic standards were adopted in 1993. See that database here.

-- Laura Frazier

lfrazier@oregonian.com

503-294-4035

@frazier_laura