April 20, 2006

The time to prepare for the next big quake is NOW!

The 100th anniversary of the Great Bay Area Earthquake of 1906 on April 18 reminds us that California is one of the most earthquake prone states in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“The increase in population and development in California during the past 100 years greatly increases the probability that personal injury and property damage will be extensive when the next big earthquake occurs,” said Karen Armes, acting director of FEMA’s Region IX.

“It is important that people who live in this region be aware that a major earthquake can occur at any moment--day or night--and be prepared for it when it does,” Armes said. “Unlike hurricanes and tornadoes, earthquakes occur without warning--and once they do, it’s too late to prepare for them. The time to get ready is now.”

In the San Francisco Bay Area, FEMA is supporting numerous cultural, scientific and informational activities throughout April. These activities peaked April 18, the anniversary of the 1906 quake, which struck a little after 5 a.m. and caused devastating damage. (For more earthquake-related information, visit www.1906centennial.org.)
“Although FEMA takes an ‘all hazards’ approach to both natural and man-made disasters, here in Region IX, especially, FEMA personnel have a wealth of earthquake-related experience and information that they’ll be sharing during the coming month,” Armes said. For example, although earthquakes themselves cannot be predicted, much of the damage they can cause is both predictable and preventable.

Years of experience have shown that ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death and injury. In fact, most earthquake-related injuries result from collapsing walls, flying glass and falling objects as a result of the ground shaking, or people trying to move more than a few feet during the shaking.

Individuals can prevent injuries and protect their property by taking the following important steps:

• Create a personal or family earthquake plan and practice it. Identify things that you could not do without for 72 hours or more.

• Bolt bookcases, china cabinets and other tall furniture to wall studs. Brace or anchor high or top-heavy objects. During an earthquake, these things can fall over, causing damage or injury.

• Secure items that might fall, such as televisions, bookcases and computers. Falling items can be a major cause of damage or injury in a quake.

• Install strong latches or bolts on cabinet doors to prevent the contents from flying out during the quake.

• Move large or heavy objects and fragile items to lower shelves where they are less likely to fall and cause injury or break.

• Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.

• Store weed killers, pesticides and flammable products securely in closed latched cabinets on bottom shelves.

• Hang heavy items, such as pictures and mirrors, away from beds, couches and anywhere people sit. Earthquakes frequently knock things off walls, causing damage or injury.

• Brace overhead light fixtures. During earthquakes, overhead light fixtures are the most common items to fall.

• Strap the water heater to wall studs. The water heater may be your best source of drinkable water following an earthquake. Protect it from damage and leaks.

• Bolt down any gas appliances. After an earthquake, broken gas lines frequently create fire hazards.

• Install flexible pipefittings to avoid gas or water leaks. Flexible fittings will be less likely to break.

• Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects. Earthquakes can turn cracks into ruptures and make small problems bigger. Winter weather can fill cracks with water that turns to ice and further expands the cracks.

• Check to see if your house is bolted to its foundation. Homes bolted to their foundations are less likely to be severely damaged during an earthquake. Homes that are not bolted have been known to slide off their foundations, and many have been destroyed because they were uninhabitable.

• Consider having your building evaluated by a professional structural design engineer who can give you advice on how to reduce potential damage. Ask for strengthening tips for porches, front and back decks, sliding glass doors, canopies, carports and garage doors.

• Consider buying earthquake insurance. Ask your insurance agent about adding earthquake coverage to your current policy.

Individuals should also assemble a disaster supplies kit. Review the recommendations posted on FEMA’s Web site, www.FEMA.gov/library/diskit.shtm, and on the Web sites of state and local emergency services such as the San Francisco Office of Emergency Services: www.72hours.org Another excellent resource is the booklet, “Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country, Your Handbook for the San Francisco Bay Region,” which can be found at http://quake.usgs.gov.

“When an earthquake does occur,” Armes said, “duck, cover and hold on. Forget about standing in a doorway. Get under a sturdy desk, table, or bench, or against an inside wall, and hold on. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Most injuries during earthquakes occur when people are hit by falling objects when entering or leaving buildings.”

If you are already outdoors, she said, stay there. Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires. “The shaking won’t kill you and the earth doesn’t actually open up and swallow people. Falling objects are the real hazards.”