10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TODAY

To Get Started Getting Earthquake Ready at Home

Many of us are spending a lot more time at home than we did even a few months
ago. For some, home has become work. As recent disasters around the country
have taught us, mixing the sudden impact of a natural disaster with the seemingly
endless impact of the pandemic is not a good combination. Fortunately for us in
earthquake country, there are plenty of practical steps we can take to lessen the
potential destruction and disruption of a major earthquake.
But what if you’ve never done any earthquake preparedness? Many folks I know
are certain they should do something to prepare, but they just haven’t gotten
around to it. Well, perhaps time it currently in abundance but money not so
much. Can people still take steps to head down the road towards home
earthquake resilience? Of course!
Below are then things you can do TODAY to begin the process and NOT break the
bank. Have fun!
#1 PUT A PRY BAR UNDER YOUR BED. Just after the Napa earthquake of 2014, a
major reason people called 911 was because they were STUCK IN THEIR
ROOM. Homes shifted in the shaking and bedroom doors jammed. This is
common in earthquakes. You need to get out of your bedroom! You may already
have a prybar in the garage. Move it to under your bed. Or, if you need to
purchase one, I’ve seen some online for around $10.00.
#2 LEARN THE POEM. This is free and is something you should teach your
children. Think about it, what are the chances an earthquake will strike while you
or a loved one is in bed? Not zero, I’m guessing. What should you do if you are in
bed when an earthquake strikes? Don’t roll off the bed. Don’t run around. Learn
the poem:
“STAY IN BED, PUT A PILLOW ON YOUR HEAD”
Experts tell you to stay where you are and cover your vulnerable head and neck
area with a pillow. It’s easy. It’s Free!
#3 USE EARTHQUAKE PUTTY. Simple, cheap, and easy to use, earthquake putty
such as QUAKE SECURE can be used to hold down items that weigh less than twenty
pounds, some of which are quite valuable. Imagine a chewed wad of gum rolled
up and used as an adhesive; that’s sort of what earthquake putty is. My favorite
type of earthquake putty is sold online for under $7. I use it all around the house—
I live with my aunt and she has dozens of figurines that are important to her. These
things would fall onto the ground like crazy in an earthquake. One package goes a
long way.
#4 DO AN EARTHQUAKE DRILL. Do you participate in the Great Shakeout at work
every year? If not, you should. (Check out shakeout.org) Either way, you can
conduct an earthquake drill at home at any time. The BEST way to prepare for an
earthquake is to practice for an earthquake. Do you DROP, COVER, and HOLD
ON? Do you STAY IN BED? Do you get in a doorway or run outside? Do your
children know what to do when the ground starts shaking? There are all sorts of
educational materials available on-line, and most of it is free. You can even order
coloring books, earthquake education brochures, maps, and more! Don’t forget to
check out USGS.gov and get your early-warning app for your phone if it is available
in your area.
#5 GET 1 CASE OF WATER. The most common question I get asked by people is
“What do I put in my earthquake kit.” There are all sorts of lists available online
and for the most part, they agree with one another. Or you can get a pre-made kit
from places like redfora.com. But one thing it seems everyone agrees on: you’re
going to need water. If I was just beginning my earthquake provisions pantry, I’d
begin with one case of water. Most times they are under $5 a case. You can
purchase a case of water at most stores. There are dozens of ways to build
redundant food and water systems into your overall plan, but if the earthquake
were to happen tonight or tomorrow, I’d be glad to have a case of water on
hand. You’ve got to start somewhere—and this is a great place to start.
#6 DOCUMENT YOUR FAMILY’S MEDICAL INFORMATION. Another free, critical
aspect of preparedness. Who are your physicians? What medications are people
in the home on? Write this information down and keep it in a “GO NOTEBOOK”
along with other information important to you. If there is one thing we’ve learned
about disasters of all types, it is that they are unpredictable. Be ready to move at
any time for any number of reasons. Train everyone in the home about the
importance of grabbing the “GO NOTEBOOK” if things turn south in a hurry and the
family has to get out fast.
#7 INSTALL EARTHQUAKE-ACTIVATED CABINET LATCHES. The ONLY earthquake
activated ones I’ve seen are called SeismoLatch. You can get these online and they
run about $6 per latch for the ULTRA. Go with these versions because you can
install them in minutes without tools! They are a big upgrade to baby-proof
latches as your cabinets only lock during an earthquake. Very simple, quite
ingenious and a snap to put in. I put in SeismoLatch Ultra fasteners in my entire
kitchen for around $60, and it took me less than a half-hour.
#8 SECURE ONE ITEM NEAR A DOORWAY. When you do your full home risk hazard
hunt (see below) you will identify which items where, if they tipped over in an
earthquake, would block someone from getting out or help to get in. Visualize a
low-profile table near the front door; perhaps you put your car keys in a basket on
the table. This item isn’t large enough to hurt anyone, but because of its location
if it fell it could restrict egress. Fasten that item in place, preferably to a stud in
the wall. Safe-T-Proof is my fastener of choice, and I put them everywhere. You
can get two fasteners on-line for under $20. If the table is a small one, say two
feet wide and three feet tall, I will use one fastener on the unit. I did need to find
a wall stud and learn how to use an electric drill, but that wasn’t too hard to figure
out. My wife taught me.
#9 STABILIZE WALL PICTURES IN THE HALL WITH INDUSTRIAL VELCRO™. Even in
relatively small earthquakes, it seems that pictures fall from their hooks onto the
floor. Sometimes this results in broken glass. You CAN purchase picture hooks
made specifically for earthquakes, but I found an easy fix that I can use with the
existing nail or hook. Most home stores sell a product called INDUSTRIAL
VELCRO™. If I have this right the hooks are in a t-shape rather than a traditional j-
shape, and thus they hold better. You can get them in rolls or strips. I cut a small
square section off the roll or strip and adhere one to the bottom right back and one
to the bottom left back corners of the picture. The strips keep the picture flat
against the wall and they won’t hop off the hook. I use these on the 8”x10” sized
photos and other wall art that weighs less than ten pounds. I did all the pictures
in the house for under $10.
#10 INSTALL A POWER-FAILURE LIGHT. Remember I am thinking “What if the
earthquake strikes tonight?” I can always purchase one of the cool, new Quake
Escape lights that are activated by ground motion. Those are on-line. Or, I can but
any number of similar lights at the home store for from $10 to $20. These go on
when the power goes out, and most of them stay plugged in a socket all the time
and will simply turn on when there is a power outage. You need to be strategic
about where to place these, and the Quake Escape might be perfect for every
child’s room (“If the light goes on, we are having an earthquake—you know what
to do”).
START AT THE BEGINNING. Every journey begins with a first step. You know have
the first ten! Remember you can visit Safe-T-Proof.com, enter the coupon code
“COMMUNITY” at checkout and save 20% on everything at the website. PLUS,
during the pandemic Safe-T-Proof is providing a VIRTUAL EARTHQUAKE
CONCIERGE who will help you do an initial home survey and teach you how to do
a hazard hunt. Get prepared today and do it one step at a time.