Home & Garden Columns

Quake Tip of the Week

By Larry Guillot
Friday January 26, 2007

It Won’t Be So Bad 

 

Earthquakes are mostly just inconvenient, right? So let’s not worry too much. The really major ones happen elsewhere, except maybe for San Francisco in 1906. But that was a long time ago. 

I give talks to civic/business groups about earthquake preparedness, and I’ve actually had people comment that they did just fine in the Loma Prieta or Northridge quake, so they’re not really concerned. One man told me he figured there wasn’t much he could do anyway, so why bother. 

Really? Not much we can do? Remember that: 

• it is the retrofitted houses that have survived previous big quakes.  

• an automatic gas shut-off valve means your house is less likely to burn to the ground after a quake.  

• furniture and appliances that are secured won’t injure you or your family.  

• historically (think Katrina), we cannot count on having water, food, electricity, gas, or usable roads after a disaster like a big quake, so we should have our own emergency supplies.  

 

 

Larry Guillot is owner of QuakePrepare, an earthquake consulting, securing, and kit supply service. Call him at 558-3299, or visit www.quakeprepare.com.