California is earthquake-prone and accounts for a high number of documented earthquakes that occur in the US. This does not mean that all earthquakes are serious, many are barely noticeable. However, it does mean that homes in Californian cities like Encinitas should take some care to make their homes earthquake-ready.
If you’re new in the area or just need to review your household’s emergency response plan, here are four tips endorsed by the Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA).
Secure your space
The best home features of an earthquake-ready home prevent injuries and minimize damage to the home by ensuring that most of your belongings stay put even when there has been a relatively strong earthquake. Most often, these features will include:
- Heavy furniture, like bookshelves and televisions, strapped or attached to walls
- Art and mirrors hanging on closed hooks
- Cupboards and latches reinforced by latches
- Flexible connections attaching gas lines to appliances
While this may incur some expense, they add more value upgrades to your home.
Plan to be safe
A prepared household is a safe household. Call a family meeting and, together, map out what everyone will do in the event of a big earthquake.
As you make your plan, these are some of the most pertinent questions that everyone should be clear on:
- How will we stay safe while an earthquake is happening?
- When do we regroup after an earthquake?
- Where will we regroup?
- Who are our emergency contacts?
- What do we put in our emergency bags?
You can also download the MyShake app to get alerts before a quake hits any area in California.
Organize disaster supplies
After an earthquake, you may need to get out of town or stay put. For either situation, you will need survival supplies.
The ECA recommends preparing these three bags for your home:
- Under-Bed Bags – Stored under each family member’s bed, these bags hold the most urgent supplies, like clothes, first aid kits, dust masks, and flashlights.
- Go Bags – In case you need to leave town as soon as possible, you will need a pre-packed bag with important documents, cash, and three days’ worth of food and medicines.
- Home Survival Kit – This (ideally) waterproof kit contains two weeks’ worth of supplies to support the household in case they must shelter in place.
Minimize financial hardships
You never know when an emergency can strike, so always keep these important documents nearby just in case you need to file a claim:
- Copies of your IDs
- Insurance documents
- Photos of your property
- A directory of emergency contacts
Also, consider investing in earthquake insurance and consulting with experts who can help you protect your financial interests and your home.
Making your home earthquake-ready may seem unnecessary given that most earthquakes do not present a large danger, but there is still a chance that sooner or later a significant one will hit. It is always better to be prepared should the situation arise.
Talk to a real estate expert in Encinitas, CA
I’m Michael Jacobo, a Realtor with 20 years of experience in helping people find or sell the best homes in San Diego County.
If you’d like to talk more about your real estate options in Encinitas and discuss what would make your new home earthquake resilient call us at 760.632.8900 or send an email here.