With the Great BC Shakeout earthquake drill coming October 16, it seems pertinent to learn a little about earthquakes and have fun with a Home Hazard Hunt.
The danger of an earthquake should be a real concern for British Columbians. Every year BC is subject to over 800 earthquakes - 200 of which occur on Vancouver Island and the Lower mainland. With more than 70 percent of our population living in the southwest corner of the province, concern about earthquakes is well founded! If we take the time to prepare ourselves, though, the possibility of injury and property damage will be considerably reduced.
It might help to first look at what an earthquake is and what to expect when it occurs:
The earth’s surface is made up of huge plates of rock that gradually move over, under and past each other. Over time, accumulated stress causes the rock to suddenly break or slip along a fault. This sudden movement and release of energy causes the ground to shake, pitch, and roll as seismic waves move through the earth.
As you might expect, this sudden , rapid shaking can collapse buildings , bridges, tunnels, disrupt utility services (phone, water, sewer, and gas) and trigger landslides, fires, and floods. As frightening as this sounds, it has been proven that when a community is prepared, the impact of an earthquake can be drastically reduced.
Before an earthquake:
- identify safe places in each room of your house
- identify the danger zones, such as by windows, swinging doors, tall or hanging objects, chimneys or near gas appliances
- practice your family emergency plan
- consider purchasing earthquake insurance to defray costs of any damage
- use the home hazard hunt checklist to help prepare your home (coming up)
- review earthquake procedures at your workplace
- discuss the earthquake plan at your children’s school.
The Home Hazard Hunt:
- Preparing your home for dangerous situations such as earthquakes is well worth your time and financial investment. This doesn’t have to be a restrictive process: be creative!
- For example, if you’re in an earthquake zone and need to remove heavy pictures from above your bed or couch, replace them with “soft art” like tapestries.
- The ground movement that accompanies earthquakes is seldom the cause of property damage. Homes that are structurally sound with their internal contents properly secured generally come through earthquakes with relatively little damage. On the other hand, unprepared homes are unsafe and their contents will be vulnerable to the shaking motion of an earthquake.
Using this as your guide , walk through your home and identify the hazards that exist in each room.
*A quick rule of thumb: If it’s taller than it is wide , secure it!*
