The tremor hit just before dawn. It wasn’t violent enough to cause widespread devastation, but for Sarah, a homeowner in Carmichael, Sacramento County, it was a terrifying wake-up call. Her first thought wasn’t about her family, who were thankfully safe, but about her largest and most vulnerable entry point: the garage door. As daylight broke, she surveyed the scene: a visibly stressed garage door frame, an opener straining, and a creeping sense of unease. Could her home truly withstand the next — potentially stronger — seismic event? This relatable frustration, the unsettling feeling of vulnerability, is a shared concern for many homeowners across California’s seismic zones, especially here in Sacramento County.