| What are Earthquake Mitigation Measures? | | | | non-damaging adhesives such as Quake Hold |
| Earthquake mitigation measures are simple | | | | or Museum Wax that are available at |
| techniques to secure non-structural components | | | | hardware stores or home centers. |
| and contents of your home to the studs of the | | | | Securing Kitchen Cabinets |
| interior walls and/or the floors in order to reduce | | | | - Unsecured cabinet doors fly open during |
| the risk to lives and investments. Self-mitigation | | | | earthquakes, allowing glassware and dishes to |
| techniques can be undertaken by homeowners | | | | crash to the floor. Many types of inexpensive |
| using inexpensive hardware tools and materials | | | | latches are available to prevent this including |
| found in hardware stores and home centers as | | | | child-proof latches, hook and eye latches, push |
| they are simple to explain and require no special | | | | latches, or positive catch latches designed for |
| expertise to implement. | | | | boats. |
| Why Secure your Home Contents? | | | | - To help prevent movement of the contents of |
| According to a study from the University of | | | | cabinets, line them with rubberized shelf mats, |
| California in Los Angeles, 55% of the injuries | | | | typically is sold in rolls at hardware stores. To |
| during the 1994 Northridge earthquake were | | | | protect stacked china plates, place a square of |
| caused by falling furniture or objects while only | | | | this rubberized matting between each plate in the |
| 1% of injuries were caused by building damage. | | | | stack. |
| Other injuries were due to people falling or | | | | Securing Hanging Objects |
| behaving dangerously. Many of these injuries could | | | | - Do not hang heavy objects above beds and |
| have been prevented through simple actions | | | | sofas, only soft objects such as unframed |
| taken before the earthquake. Therefore, you | | | | posters or rugs. |
| should secure anything in your home that is | | | | - Hang mirrors, pictures, and other hanging |
| heavy enough to hurt if it falls on you, or fragile | | | | objects on closed hooks so that they can't |
| and expensive enough to be a significant loss if it | | | | bounce off the walls. Their corners can also be |
| falls. In addition, secure items in your garage to | | | | secured with earthquake putty such as Quake |
| reduce damage to vehicles. The benefits of | | | | Hold. |
| earthquake mitigation measures go well beyond | | | | - Secure ceiling lights, suspended ceilings, |
| being simply reducing financial losses as it will | | | | chandeliers and plants with closed hooks to the |
| make your home safer and help in returning your | | | | ceiling stud which can be detected using a stud |
| family much more quickly back to their normal life | | | | finder available at hardware stores and home |
| style. | | | | centers. |
| How to Secure your Home Contents? | | | | Securing Windows and Glass doors |
| The following disaster mitigation techniques are | | | | - If you are considering a window replacement in |
| simple actions you can do today that will protect | | | | the near future, look into replacing your windows |
| you, your family, and your investments if an | | | | with tempered glass (similar to automobiles glass) |
| earthquake occurs tomorrow. | | | | which is less likely to be broken into sharp pieces. |
| Securing Furniture | | | | - If your budget does not allow for window |
| - Move tall and heavy furniture in your home (e.g. | | | | replacement, an inexpensive option is to install a |
| bookcases, china cabinets, entertainment centers, | | | | protective film with a minimum thickness of 4 mils |
| armoires, etc) away from couches, sofas and | | | | on the inside of your windows, which can be |
| other places where people sit and sleep; as they | | | | purchased at any home improvement store. |
| are very likely to fall when the ground is rolling | | | | Securing Hazardous Chemicals in the Garage and |
| and shaking. | | | | Utility Room |
| - Secure both top corners of all heavy furniture | | | | - Store paints, gasoline, and other flammable |
| into a wall stud (not just to the drywall) to | | | | liquids away from natural gas water heater. |
| prevent them from falling on someone you care | | | | - Move flammable or hazardous materials to low |
| about and to save their contents. | | | | shelves that are secure, or put them on the floor. |
| - Flexible-mount fasteners such as earthquake | | | | - Ensure that items stored above or beside |
| straps or nylon straps allow independent | | | | vehicles cannot fall, damaging or blocking them. |
| movement of tall furniture from the wall and | | | | - Wrap fragile bottles of hazardous materials with |
| sway without falling over, reducing the strain on | | | | foam rubber or rubber bands, or replace glass |
| the studs. Commercial kits utilizing nylon strapping | | | | containers with unbreakable containers. |
| are available in hardware stores, home centers, or | | | | Securing Water and Gas Pipes |
| home improvement stores such as Home Depot, | | | | - Ask a plumber to evaluate, replace, and properly |
| Lowe's, True Value, Ace Hardware, or Sears. | | | | secure rusted or worn water and gas pipes and |
| - Another inexpensive option utilizing 4" L-shape | | | | to replace rigid gas connections to stoves, dryers, |
| brackets and lag screws. In case of bookcases, 2" | | | | and other gas appliances with flexible (corrugated) |
| clip angles can be used. | | | | stainless-steel gas connectors. |
| - Display cases shall also be secured to the floor | | | | - Excess-flow gas-shutoff valves for individual |
| using angle brackets, in addition to the top | | | | appliances, which stop gas flow in case of a |
| mounting. | | | | catastrophic leak, are also available for use with |
| - Loose shelves can also be secured by applying | | | | flexible connectors. |
| earthquake putty on each corner bracket. Install | | | | Securing Water Heaters and Natural Gas |
| latches on drawers and cabinet doors to keep | | | | Appliances |
| contents from spilling. Place heavy and/or large | | | | - About one in four fires after an earthquake is |
| items on lower shelves to prevent them from | | | | related to natural gas leaks due to gas appliances |
| flying around the room during an earthquake. | | | | (water heaters, dryers, stoves, ovens, furnaces) |
| Securing Exercise Equipments and Pianos | | | | that are not anchored to the floor or walls, or do |
| - Secure exercise equipment by screwing a clip | | | | not have flexible pipe connections. |
| angle to each leg and fastening the clip angle into | | | | - Experiences from past earthquakes |
| concrete floors by drilling anchor bolts or into | | | | demonstrate that water heaters are of special |
| wood floor joists using lag bolts. | | | | concern. Unsecured water heaters often fall over, |
| - Do not block doors or exit ways for evacuation | | | | rupturing rigid water and gas connections. |
| during an emergency. Store weights in a weight | | | | - Water heaters should be braced to the wall |
| rack that is secured to the floor. | | | | studs or masonry with two heavy-gauge metal |
| - Wheel-mounted heavy furniture such as pianos | | | | straps (plumber's tape is no longer recommended) |
| shall be secured by installing restraints to the floor | | | | and lag screws near the top and bottom of the |
| and the wall studs using eye-screw and bungee | | | | tank. |
| cord or wire. | | | | - Bracing kits (that include the strapping, lag |
| Securing Home Electronics and Large Appliances | | | | screws, washers, spacers, and tension bolts) are |
| - Secure televisions, stereos, computers, | | | | available at hardware stores, home centers, or |
| microwave ovens, and other electronics (that are | | | | home improvement stores. |
| costly to replace) with flexible nylon straps and | | | | - Ask a plumber to install flexible (corrugated) |
| buckles for easy removal and relocation. Other | | | | copper water connectors. |
| alternatives are to use Velcro that has | | | | - Be sure to check the straps once a year as |
| adhesive on the back, bungee cord, lock | | | | they may come loose due to vibrations. |
| fasteners, leash locks, or earthquake pads. | | | | - Bracing your water heater would cost $20 to |
| - Lock the rollers (if exist) of large appliances such | | | | $200. Remember that replacing a water heater |
| as refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, washing | | | | after an earthquake can cost more than $500, |
| machines, and dryers that may shift and/or tip | | | | while repairing fire damage or flooding damage can |
| over. Anchor large appliances using safety cables | | | | cost several thousand dollars, including the entire |
| or straps and minimum 3/8' screw eyes that are | | | | cost of your home! |
| attached to the wall studs. Ensure that the | | | | - Know where your main water and gas valves |
| restraint is located in the upper mid-third of the | | | | are so that you, your spouse, or teen(s) can shut |
| appliance to provide the greatest resistance to | | | | them off in case of leakage. |
| overturning. | | | | Concluding Remark |
| - In case of refrigerators, secure an angle bracket | | | | The 2010 Haiti earthquake is a wake up call for |
| to the wall with a lag bolt for wood wall, an | | | | anyone who lives in an active seismic region to |
| expansion bolt for concrete wall, or metal screw | | | | know how to reduce the risk to lives and |
| for metal stud walls. Use a metal screw to attach | | | | investments by establishing an earthquake |
| the angle bracket to the refrigerator. Align the | | | | preparedness plan that include -among other |
| angle of a pronged zee clip with the leg of the | | | | items- securing the contents of the home to the |
| refrigerator and anchor the clip to the floor. | | | | studs of the interior walls and/or the floors. |
| - Replace all rigid connections with flexible | | | | Earthquake mitigation measures will make your |
| connectors and install automatic shut-off valves | | | | home safer and help in returning your family |
| for both the gas and water supply system to | | | | much more quickly back to their normal life style. |
| further reduce the possibility of a water or gas | | | | In the United States, these seismic regions include |
| line break. | | | | -but not limited to- Alaska and the West Coast |
| Securing Objects on Open Shelves and Tabletops | | | | especially California; the Midwestern States |
| - Move heavy objects and breakables to lower | | | | especially Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, and |
| shelves. | | | | Tennessee around the New Madrid and the |
| - Hold collectibles, pottery, lamps and other loose | | | | Wabash Valley Seismic Zones; and the Charleston |
| valuable objects in place by using removable | | | | area in South Carolina. |