![]() Times newsletter guide to earthquake readiness and resilience, in your inbox on Friday. Look for the next installment of Unshaken, the L.A. Make sure nothing is blocking your exits. Is anything blocking the way? Make sure you have at least two clear paths to get outside safely after the shaking stops.Īgenda items: Inspect your water heater, furniture, electronics, appliances, hanging items and valuables, especially around where people sleep or sit. For extra security, you could add raised edges or rim guards to shelves or use bungee cords to keep things in place.Ĭlear out hallways and exits. This includes aerosol cans, cleaning products, pesticides, auto products, batteries, propane tanks and more. Make sure anything flammable or toxic is stored in a cool, dry place away from other materials - ideally on bottom shelves. Store toxic and flammable substances safely. Also, plug in an emergency light in your bedroom. If you need glasses, keep a pair near your bed, as well as a set of keys. Remember from Week 1 of this course to keep some shoes near your bed, in case the quake happens at night, so you can walk around your home without cutting your feet on broken glass. You can also cover your windows with security film. Remove anything that could fall onto your bed, and make sure your bed is away from windows, which can shatter. More advice from wine experts can be found here. Keep these cases or other racks low to the ground. Wines in wooden cases also mostly survived. ![]() During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, restaurateur Piero Selvaggio lost $1 million worth of wine, but the ones that were stored this way were fine. If you have wine, consider storing it in racks with individual slots and a lip to hold the neck of each bottle. Although extremely durable, museum putty isn’t fail-safe, so keep larger, heavier objects on lower shelves. Use museum putty to secure flower pots or vases to the surfaces on which they sit, too. You can also put security film on your mirrors and windows, which keeps your glass from shattering, in the same way your car’s windshield glass is protected from shattering completely if a rock hits it. There are also glass-less frames - including ones you can make yourself - and archival sprays with UV and water-resistant lacquer that help preserve digital photos. Consider using plastic instead of glass to cover pictures - especially in hallways - to limit broken glass. Cut feet from broken glass in picture frames and mirrors are a common source of injury during a major earthquake. Use museum putty (also known as earthquake putty) or museum wax to secure picture frames and mirrors to the wall at their corners. Also, make sure none of these things are hanging near where people sit or sleep. Hang mirrors, wall art or plants with closed hooks.ĭo the same for anything that’s hanging from the ceiling (e.g., hanging light fixtures). Hooks with openings are less secure and can come loose during shaking. Closed hooks are the best way to make sure that your hanging items don’t fly at you during the shaking. Broken glasses, plates and bottles can create a hazard. Install safety latches on your kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The average tank holds 30 to 50 gallons of water, according to Earthquake Country Alliance. It’s also possible to use your water heater as a source of fresh water after a disaster - another reason you want it to stay upright. Note that this might be a job for a professional. This is important to prevent it from falling and causing gas leaks, fires or flooding. If your water heater isn’t secured already (and it really should be), use two straps (you can buy these at a hardware store) to secure its top and the bottom to wall studs. ![]() Emergency plug-in lights that automatically turn on during a power outage (keep one plugged in near your bed)Īgenda item: Make a hardware store run for any equipment you need to secure your living space. Safety film (for windows, so shattered glass will remain in place) Closed hooks (for picture frames and mirrors) Museum putty (to secure picture frames to walls and objects to tabletops) Safety latches or child-proof locks (for kitchen cabinets) Wall straps or brackets (for bookcases, refrigerators, water heaters and more) Then read on to figure out what you have, what you want and what you need to make a hardware store run for. What you’ll needīegin by reviewing this list of equipment. So let’s do our best to avoid being injured inside the home. According to the Earthquake Country Alliance, two-thirds of all injuries sustained during an earthquake are a result of falling objects.
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