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Earthquakes: protect your home |
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You can protect your family and home from an earthquake. Protective measures inside your home are not expensive and can be done by almost anyone.
Inside your home
Most injuries during an earthquake occur because objects fall. Take time to make your home safer.
 Anchor bookcases and filing cabinets to nearby walls.
Install latches on drawers and cabinet doors so they are less likely to swing open.
Install ledge barriers on shelves, place heavy objects on lower shelves, and secure large, heavy breakables directly to shelves.
Use closed eyescrews and wire to securely attach framed pictures and mirrors to the walls.
Attach computers and small appliances to desks, tables or countertops.
Secure ceiling lights, suspended ceilings and other hanging items to the permanent structure of your house.
Apply safety film to windows and glass doors.
Anchor large appliances to walls using safety cables or straps.
Lock the rollers of any large appliances or pieces of furniture.
Secure your water heater to nearby walls.
Fit all gas appliances with flexible connections and/or a breakaway gas shut-off device, or install a seismic main gas shut-off device. (Check your local building codes to determine whether you may install flexible connectors yourself or whether a professional must install them.)
The home itself
An earthquake severely tests your home’s structural integrity. Your home must absorb the earthquake’s energy and provide a stable path to transfer these forces back into the ground. Your home is more likely to escape damage when the roof is attached tightly to the walls, the walls are fastened to each other and, finally, when the walls are braced and anchored to a strong foundation. For structural changes, consult your local building officials and hire a registered design professional, such as an architect, engineer, or licensed building contractor to do the work. If the structural elements of your home need reinforcing, some of the most important retrofits include:
Adding anchor bolts or steel plates between your home and its foundation.
Using sheathing to brace the inside of your home’s cripple wall – the short wood-stud wall between the top of the foundation wall and the first floor.
Bracing unreinforced chimneys, masonry and concrete walls and foundations.
Outside your home
In addition to your home, you may have other structures vulnerable to earthquake damage. Periodically check your garage and other structures to assess their capacity to withstand an earthquake.
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