I guess an "earthquake thread" is appropriate for the SoCal chapter - it's certainly an item of local interest.

What have you done around the house to attempt to ensure your safety from top heavy items that might be a hazard to your home's inhabitants in the event of an earthquake?

I've secured top heavy items by anchoring them to the wall. Eye bolts screwed
into a stud attached to the piece by turnbuckles.

 

I'm embarassed to say I have done nothing. But I am careful to avoid placing heavy items where they could fall on the bed. For the rest of the house I kind of figure that if we are awake when a quake happens, we can avoid tilting bookcases easily enough. That might be poor judgement, I don't know.

I do keep a jug of water and a case of bottled water in the shed. The travel trailer has a fair stock of non-perishable food, water, and batteries too.

 

You can buy "Earthquake Paste" aka Museum Putty at antique stores, Home Depot & Lowes to anchor all your china/pottery/glassware. It won't affect the finish.

 

Up here in Hollister they tell us we have 2-3 earthquakes a day on average...this affects certain streets which are always in a state of dis-repair...not that I've seen workers out there repairing them...but the dang gutters and sidewalks get out of alignment....we got them creeping ever which 'a way.

The San Andreas Fault runs very close to town so, seem like right under it sometimes......go figure...what did the durned pioneers know from earthquake faults?

I can hear 'em now..."Hey Ma...check out this bottom land...topsoil 8 feet deep....and see them rock outcrops....great place to put a house or even a town! Wonder why noone lives here?....whoodoggeess...let's put down roots!

125 years later we find out those rocks used to be down around LA....

Mmm maybe that's why I'm a member of the SoCal Chapter of the Ford Truck Enthusiasts! There's a reason for ever'thing..

It's still moving...We got about nothing secured...but ever once in a while we get a good jolt...

Hell our house is so flexible that when the washer goes on spin cycle...the place starts ta rockin' baby....like box on a bowl of jelly!!

But...I do worry about that 50# sculpture above our bed...so I moved the bed out 2 feet from the wall...

TH1567
House rockin? Don't bother, come on in!

 

I am in the same boat as Bill. Have not done squat about furniture securing. But for the first time My girl and I sat down and came up with having food and water just incase it were to be a bad one. We figure if mother nature wants to destroy our home,she will. If we so happen to make it threw it. We have about a months worth of can goods. Veggies in water being the majority. Because they already come with water it's something less to worry about. And we have a few stacks water bottle cases. The one thing that sucks is it is taking up a lot of room. The cabinets in the garage are filled with canned goods. water every were. Better to be safe than sorry. I think we invested about $1000 in canned goods. Having youngins is what drove us to do it.

 

Hopefully you can get into the garage after an earthquake, I am planning on stocking up my motorhome.

 

The canned goods are definitely a good idea, but you have to be sure to rotate the stock - even that canned stuff goes bad eventually.

 

After about a year we plan on starting the rotation process. As for getting to the cans. If we make it through the quake. I'll get to the food trust me. If the quake is big enough to bring down the house, Food is going to be the last thing on my mind. But it is a good idea to have something stored just incase.

 

we have the same deal, about a months worth of stored food that we already rotate, in the house we have baby locks on all of the cabinets, you know the kind where you open the cabinet a half inch and press the latch so you can open it all the way, yeah all our cabinets have those so in an earthquake they dont spew their contents everywhere, like in '94, since all the cabinets in my house are at shoulder level or higher, and any other items like china and crystal is stuck down with "quakewax" which idk what it is but you put it on the bottom of whatever and it holds it down pretty good. Then outside the bedrooms in the hall cupboards, we have shoes and flashlights and batteris, so i think we are pretty well prepaired, it comes from the 94 when me and my brother were little, after that my parents are very prepared.

 

Earthquakes in Southern California??? First time I've heard of this!

 

HaHa! It's true, Fernie, it's true!!

 

Okay, since we're talking earthquakes, how many of you carry earthquaker insurance on your home?

I have off and on, and currently I do. I plan to continue, and not procrastinate as in the past.

 

Now that I don't have.

 

No quake insurance here. Our house was built on clay in 1985, and is solid as a rock.

The 5.3 (or so) quake last year didn't affect anything, even the pics on the walls stayed straight. The epi-center was only a few miles east.

 

I carried it for a while on my old house. Then in the, oh I guess it was the late 90's, CA decided to create their own insurance fund and it all got real complicated. Along with my general distrust of government, I let it lapse for a few years. I think the ins.co. balked at being forced to provide the option and the state stepped in. For a while it was hard to even find a company to write new policies and some companies stopped doing business in the state.

Things eventually got settled down and when we moved here I re-upped the EQ coverage. It still is not actually underwritten by my insurance carrier. I think it is a coop kind of thing. But the payment goes to my regular carrier. The cost is approximately the same as my regular H.O. policy. The EQ coverage is not all that great and has a HUGE deductible. But it would kick in if there was substantial damage.

In general I think our 1950's and later single story ranch style homes are pretty solid and not likely to "fall down". I worry more about gas leak fires and water damage.