How to lessen the damage in your home from earthquakes

Your home is your investment, your possessions are your treasures, and the safety of your family is a precious jewel. Fault lines surround the globe and the closer you are to Earthquake Zones, the more vital it is for you to take action.

I have lived the majority of my years along the infamous San Andreas Fault of California. When I moved south from San Francisco I breathed a sigh of relief. A year later, I was jolted out of my ignorance as a mild earthquake rattled through town.

Step two in lessening the financial damage of whatever damage you do incur, is to take the time to select an insurance company and the policy, which best covers your needs. It is reasonable if you balk at the yearly premiums. The USGS can inform you of the projected frequency of seismic activity in your area. Maybe the odds are that an earthquake only has happened once every 50 – 100 years in your area. What if you happen to be uninsured when that time comes ten years after you have settled in the region?

Seventeen years after I found out that my little corner of earth had several fault lines, The Loma Pieta Earthquake shook our region so hard that it took many years to recover. I had earthquake insurance and, although I had to work aggressively with the insurance company, it certainly made recovery possible. Keep a current photo or video record of your home and possessions. This will aid you greatly in recovering any loss.

Step three in lessening earthquake damage is that you must consider how your home is attached to the ground. When the earth heaves, it is much better that your home move in the same direction to avoid collision from the subsequent waves of earth movement. Securing your home to the land may involves a permanent rebar enforced foundation. If you have a mobile home, you may be able to secure your home for less cost via a tie-down system. In our region, mobile homes, which were still secured to the original manufacturer’s trailer with tires, fared amazingly well. The rubber absorbed the shock. The homes that had the worst damage were those with unreinforced brick and termite-infested wood foundations. These homes utterly collapsed and caused injury and death.

Step four to lessen earthquake damage to your home, is to maintain your home’s foundation. Regular termite and foundation inspections are part of your home investment. It is vital, in earthquake country to inspect or have your home inspected and repairs made at least every ten years.

Most people in an earthquake zone will experience mild to moderate shakers in their lifetime. I had “quake-proofed” my home based on my personal experience of earthquakes. Experts now refer to these size shakers as “earth movements.” When a real big earthquake hit, the damage was astounding.

Step five to lessen the greatest earthquake damage is to get out of the way! Get away from glass, as it will shatter. Get away from old brick buildings, as falling bricks become deadly. If you are inside, lie next to a bed or couch. If the building collapses, you are safer next to something that collapses, then underneath it. There is much information available through the Red Cross and other disaster organizations on Earthquake safety tips. Safety organizations usually update these tips yearly with latest experience-learned lessons.

Step six is based on the fact that, an earthquake will move everything not tied down. To lessen earthquake damage to the inside of your home, take a walk through and look at anything that would fall or slide. Books fall out of bookcases. If the bookcase is not secure to the wall, it may end up across the room. Heavy objects that took two husky movers, a dolly, and an hour or two to move into your house, take only 15 seconds of earth quaking to move anywhere in or out of your home. Secure your furniture to the walls. Secure knick-knacks on shelves with plastic adhesive. There are quite a few of these products available at china shops and hardware stores. A local museum may advise you on what product they use. Keep in mind that a heavy item flying from the shelf to your head, can cause a serious medical problem. An heirloom plate or cherished breakables may be shattered to pieces if not secured to the shelf or wall. There are also Velcro or metal fasteners to assist in protecting your computer, TV, or entertainment systems. Our 24” television survived because we had duct-taped it to the cedar chest. However, the television tube was damaged because of the power surges that occurred during the earthquake and aftershocks.

Step seven; invest in some quality surge protectors for all your expensive electric powered items. Take a good assessment of your electrical items including your refrigerator, freezer and range-top. Power was out in our area for three days and in our neighborhood for two weeks. Imagine our disappointment when, after power was restored, we still had no TV, and no refrigerator because of power-surge damage.