Earthquake preparedness service?

I know that there are pleny of disaster/earthquake preparedness kits available for purchase. We have some odds and ends tucked away. . . . But does anyone know of a service that will help us get truly organized: make sure we have all that we need, that it is accessible, that our disaster plans are sound. It shouldn't be so difficult to accomplish on our own. But since it isn't happening, we are ... Looking for Help

Water storage for earthquake supplies

I am looking for a somewhat local source to purchase a 55 gal. plastic drum for water storage for earthquake supply. There used to be a source in Berkeley, but they are out of business. I have found a source in Idaho and another in Southern Ca. but shipping is very expensive. Does anyone know where I can get one. I also have many friends who are interested. Thanks.

Containers Unlimited
10901 Russet St
Oakland, CA 94603-3727
Phone: (510) 430-0503 

Buying an earthquake emergency kit

I'm in the process of trying to prepare emergency kits for our family to use in case of an earthquake or other emergency. I've been innundated with lists of what to gather together and pack so I don't need help there. However I've noticed that there's many many companies and catalogs that supply prepackaged ''survival kits'', and would like to buy one. (Usually includes first aid kit, food bars, flashlight, radio, etc. and we would add to it.) It seems there is a great variety in prices and possibly quality between the products of these companies. Can anyone suggest a reputable company that provides safety/survival gear and equipment? Online or local. Thanks very much. Susan

What kind of container for earthquake supplies?

Now that I have children I'm finally thinking about putting together that earthquake preparedness kit. I am wondering if experienced folks out there recommend a particularly good box/storage unit to use outside. Looking at the recommended items for 2 adults, 2 children and a dog, it seems like I'd need a pretty good sized container. Thanks, Rachel

Earthquake-safe wall decor

I recently vowed to stop living like a college student and finally fix my place up. I have a couch in the only logical place it can go in our living room, and above it is a BIG blank wall. It looks stark and ugly. Same goes for the blank wall over our bed. I've read that it's not safe to hang items of any weight above beds and places where you sit. What then to do with the blank wall? Beth

However, there are also good options for lighter, softer and safer decorative items. Textiles can be a good choice - - painted silk hangings, batik cloths, tapestries, quilts. Or put up (securely wall-mounted) shelving and fill the shelves with baskets, stuffed animals, or other collectible items.

If those options don't appeal, instead of mounting a painting on the wall, you can simply paint the wall itself! A mural (or other decoration applied directly to the wall) is most often used in bedrooms, but you can certainly do them in other rooms, and it can be any style, color, etc. you like. Holly

As for the bed, I would hang a tapestry - such as a kilim rug, a weaving, etc. It's light and decorative. Another alternative is to paint the headboard wall a different color than the rest of the room or do a faux finishing technique on that wall. Anon

Moving to the Bay Area - worried about earthquakes

My family is moving to the East Bay in about a year and I can't help but be worried about earthquakes. I know that there are zones that are considered more of an earthquake risk than others. Does anyone have some words of wisdom for me on how to live in an area like San Francisco/East Bay where earthquakes are a part of life. Can anyone recommend areas that are considered more protected than others? How is day-to-day living effected (ie- Do people ''earthquake-proof'' their homes like they might childproof them?)? thanks,
shakin' in my boots

1) bought a good earthquake insurance policy (available even if you're a renter)

2) earthquake-proof my house (e.g. buy kits to strap large pieces of furniture to the walls). In addition, keep a ''disaster preparedness'' type of kit around (food, water, space blankets, matches and candles, first aid kit...)

3) realize that everywhere you live, there's some disaster waiting to happen (hurricanes in the southeast, tornados in the midwest, plane crashes, car wrecks -- even earthquakes in all kinds of places where they weren't expected before). Since I've taken all reasonable precautions, I force myself to quit thinking about it. If God wants to call me home, he's going to do it, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm a natural worrier, so this takes some effort, but I do work on it.

Karen

I'm glad to hear you are thinking ahead about being PREPARED out here. I guess there are disasters to be prepared for anywhere-tornadoes, ice storms, blizzards, floods,...everyone should have basic preparedness stuff. But there are some EQ- specific things that help. You ask whether everyone does earthquake-proofing like childproofing here. The truth is, some of us do, but most still live in denial! There are lots of things you can do to improve your preparedness at home, such as securing tall furniture to walls (and tall doesn't just mean 6' tall - you wouldn't want a 4-foot bookcase full of books falling on a crawling baby!); keeping emergency supplies (foood, water, first aid, flashlight, blankets, etc.) in an easily-accessed place; being sure the water heater in your home is properly secured (one piece of plumbers tape across the front is NOT adequate); seeing to it that the house/building you live in has been retrofitted to resist EQ forces(if it is new, it should be built to current codes, but many older buildings have not been strengthened). Of course, this only helps in your own home. Compared to places like Algeria and rural Turkey, the SF area is extremely EQ-safe. Buildings are, on the whole, safer, and of course all new censtruction is built to strict codes. However, your child's friends' families might be in the ''denial'' category. So your child might end up sleeping over at someones house, right under a 7-foot tall full china cabinet that has not been secured in any way. Also, I have found it pays to ask your schools and daycare providers what they have done. Preparedness plans are required, but some are better thought-out and implemented than others. If anyone wants more suggestions, feel free to e-mail me (I do not represent myself as an ''expert'', but I have done lots of research). rkonoff

But here are a few things to give you perspective and/or advice

--the closer you are to the water, generally, especially on flat ground, the worse off you are. This is because much of the land on the bay is really fill; on older maps, this ''land'' shows up as water. If your house is on sloping ground inland, you're probably on bedrock. You can also check out http//www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/ eqmaps/pickcity.html to find earthquake hazard maps for specific cities.

--generally, the newer your house is, the better, because earthquake codes have improved; but you have to take into consideration size and building materials. Therefore concrete apartment buildings with parking garages on the first floor (circa 1960s) are a bad bet compared to a Victorian single family house, because the former tend to ''pancake'' in a quake, while the latter will just dump a little gingerbread woodwork around your ears.

--if you're buying an older house, there are types of seismic reinforcement that can help a lot; namely, bolting your house to the foundation (older houses just sit on top of their foundations) and covering the cripple walls (i.e., portion of exterior walls between foundation and floor joists) with plywood, which adds shear strength and stability.

If I wanted maximum peace of mind, I would live in a single-story wood-frame house with no exterior masonry, either new or seismically reinforced, in a nice hilly place like Rockridge (that's rock under your feet!) or North Berkeley. And then I would chill out and enjoy the weather.

Not a geologist, but I play one on TV

Yes, California is known as earthquake country and there have certainly been a few big ones in the last century (and even last few decades), but I think most of us live our lives without thinking about it much.

Many homes are earthquake retrofitted on the foundation, most people I know have an emergency stash outside the house of food, blankets, tools, etc. just in case. Some people have earthquake insurance. Schools have emergency earthquake procedures to follow, in case. We are educated in disaster procedure in the event.

I'm not a geologist but I do know that we have lots of teeny to small earthquakes all over the place and once in a while there is a biggy centered somewhere that causes damage in one area and maybe it's felt slightly in distant areas. There are faults all over the place, some bigger, some smaller. I don't know that any one area is ''safer'' than any other. Our house is 1 1/2 blocks from the Hayward Fault but our neighborhood is built on solid stone. Don't know if that makes any difference.

I imagine at some point the Bay ARea will have another disasterous earthquake (they say we will). It could be in 20 minutes, tomorrow,or not for many years.

My husband, born and raised in Berkeley, always says he'd much rather live here where there are occasional earthquakes than in the midwest where tornados are a way of life, or in the east where hurricaines are pretty much guaranteed every season. So, good luck on your move. California is beautiful, the whether is great(or is it weather?), good food,diversity, great people. You'll learn what safety precautions to take. Be sure you do that, then relax and enjoy. June

Home prep http://www.preparenow.org/ba-eprep.html

United States Geological Survey--search by state or disaster type http://www.usgs.gov/

Neighborhood groups ask the police or fire department in your prospective neighborhood if there is an active Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in that area.

Other good information (many categories) for the Bay Area can be found by searching on http://www.craigslist.org/

Welcome to the area! Amy N

We live on a fault line, and have done some work on our house (bolted the foundation, etc). We also have an emergency stash of food and water, flashlights, etc. The Red Cross has great info on how to eathquake proof your place at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/keepsafe/readyearth.html

Friends I know that have also lived here since birth joked during the dot-com days that we needed a good earthquake to scare away the dot-commer's ) It's truly not a part of our everyday living-- it seems to happen way less than flooding, hurricanes, or tornadoes in other parts of the US (all are way more scarier for my family!).

Good luck with your move! earthquake veteran

Inside the cans, although I’ve never had any problem with water getting in, I keep everything in well-tied trash compactor bags (the strongest bags you can buy). In one can I have the things that I might need right away such as one change of clothes, first aid supplies (I put them together myself as the ones you can buy are very minimal), flashlight, a battery and hand crank powered radio (Grundig), batteries for both separately from them, little quickie food, a month’s supply of medications that I take regularly, a list of phone numbers & info like for my home insurance etc, an extra credit card that I don’t usually use, and $400. cash in small bills.

In the other cans I have more clothes, more batteries, more food, a camping lantern, a small cook stove, blankets, rain gear, a small tent, pet food, etc.

Several neighbors and I got earthquake gas shut-off valves several years ago made by Vanguard (they were about $250.00 installed). Apparently some of the earlier valves made were overly sensitive but these are just fine, and it gives extra piece of mind.

I took a class from the City of Berkeley a few years ago in Emergency First Aid- it’s not only about care you can give yourself, but how you can help triage injured people for care from other people around and professionals. They have other emergency preparedness classes also.

I also keep a small stash of emergency supplies such as change of clothes, a jacket, a space blanket, quickie food, smaller first aid kit, water, and cash, in my cars.

I had earthquake insurance for several years and then cancelled it. The deductible was so high that it just didn’t make sense. My one-story, wood frame, retrofitted house would be most likely to get a lot of broken glass and damage to possessions- less value than my policy would have covered (I don’t believe it covered possessions anyway). I checked, and fire resulting from earthquake is covered under my basic policy. This is from CSAA

Someone mentioned home inspectors for checking for structural problems. Most home inspectors are general contractors, not engineers, and look at basics but not structure in detail. For that you need an engineering inspector. Two that I know are Dan Szumski 839-0399, and Ralph Kratz 215-2430.

Oh yes, one more thing. Somewhere I read or heard that it’s a good idea to keep a large crowbar under your bed so that you can move big obstacles if you need to in order to get out.

Not in Denial

Earthquake Plan for nanny

I'm in the process of devising a communication/shelter plan for my family and our nanny in the event of a major earthquake or other disaster. My biggest concern is that my husband and I will be at work when disaster strikes, and our nanny will be left to her own devices with our 10-month-old daughter. Our nanny is intelligent, but she has not been in this country long, and she has never experienced a major earthquake. Have any of you given your childcare provider specific instructions on what to do in an earthquake? Have you given instructions on when to leave the house, when to go to a shelter, how to find a shelter and how to get in touch with you should the phones be out of service? Have you arranged to meet at a specific spot? Leave messages at an out-of-state number? Any advice you have would be most helpful. Thanks! Amy

Having read the American Red Cross advice as to what to do in the event of an earthquake, I have typed out instructions to stay in the house, go under a table or doorway (etc). We have instructions to not go go into the kitchen, turn on lights and to stay in one room. Also, she is to call out of state grandparents if she cannot get a hold of us in case lines are down. We have also set up two meeting places in the event that it is not safe to stay in the house. Also, she knows where to find flashlights and radio in the event the power goes out.

If she is to leave the house, we always have our son's backpack ready with his supplies, water, bottles and formula.

I think it is always a good idea to have an emergency plan- our's is typed out and clearly posted on our fridge with all important numbers. However, I also went over the plan with our nanny to make sure our nanny knows what to do. The more prepared you can be, the better everyone will feel.

Good luck and stay safe! Let's just hope you will never have to use the plan! Stephanie

=Where to Find Us and Today's Information=

This is a blank form which I duplicate and fill in each time. At the top it has our pre-printed cell phone numbers, and it also lists the phone numbers for wherever we'll be (work, restaurant, theater, hotel, etc.) When the kids were small it also contained information on when/what to feed them, bed times, etc.

=Emergency Information and Contact List=

With first-time sitters I review this information in person. it includes our home address with cross-street and home phone number(in case, heaven forbid, they have to call an ambulance), our cell phone numbers, phone numbers/addresses of neighbors, nearbyfriends and relatives and the Kaiser advice line.

A separate section contains information on location of earthquake, medical supplies, and fire escape ladders and the phone number of out of state contact.

If your nanny is not familiar with what to do in an earthquake, you of course need to review some basic concepts such as not running out into the street but finding a doorway, interior hall, etc., and keeping kids calm and safe. It includes recommended meeting places if the house has to be abandoned, and a reminder to leave a written note as to where they've gone.

=Emergency Medical Information and Authorization=

This form can be taken to the hospital and is also a good form to give to a friend of relative who is having your child for a sleepover in case they can't contact you. It contains address, phone number, and driving directions to Kaiser pediatric office and emergency room. It also reiterates names and numbers of friends and relatives to contact in an emergency. At the bottom we sign an authorization for emergency medical care.

If anyone wants a copy of these documents to modify for their own use, I'm happy to send them. Natasha

Evaluating earthquake hazards when looking for a house

We have recently realized how little we know about seismic hazards. Has anyone found a good book or other resource that explains what to consider when looking at potential houses, schools or daycares? We are concerned about buildings' locations relative to fault lines and other seismic hazards as well as their structural integrity. For example, how risky is it to move into a house or send our kids to a daycare located right on a fault line or in a liquefaction area? Are older, two- story homes in any way less safe than one-story homes? Our ''dream house'' would be a two-story Victorian or craftsman, but someone told us that shaking on a second floor is exponentially worse than shaking on a home's first floor. We would really like to find a good source of information to answer these and other questions that may arise as we think about where we want to live in the Bay Area. Thanks for your suggestions! Kathryn

Buying a house on a fault trace

We are thinking about buying a house that is located on top of a fault trace. Does anyone know what that means, exactly? How bad is it? Someone told us that it could actually be better to be located right on a fault line, because the worst shaking may occur further away. Is there any truth to that? Also, this property has a creek running through it and seems to have a rather high water table (a neighbor told us that she hits water when she digs in her yard). Could the amount of water in the earth make it particularly unstable in an earthquake? Is there a reliable, free source of information about these kinds of things (a government engineer or someone like that) whom we could contact? Thanks! K

To find out where a known active fault is, consult the California Geological Survey. Their site is http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs.

If the person wants site-specific information, they will have to hire a consulting geologist or geological engineer (He thinks this costs a few hundred dollars). Hope that helps. Angie

If the house actually straddles the trace of a major fault this is a bad situation that should be avoided. If the home is close (ie.within about 1/8 mile) to the trace this is a little better. However, for very large faults with lots of slip over time (ie. San Andreas fault which has had displacements of hundreds of kilometers) the "damage zone" can be quite large. This is a zone of crushed rock and defines the fault zone, not just a vertical crack that most people envision the fault to look like. This crushed zone (fault gouge) causes water to accumulate (sag ponds...., San Andreas lake is a good example) and also causes streams to pop up and hence raises the local water table. Saturated crushed rock under strong shaking conditions can result in complete ground failure (liquifaction), not to mention amplifying the ground motion and hence stronger shaking of any structures. With that said, this must all be caveated with some questions, "what kind of rock or soil is the home built on?" , "what fault is the home built next to?", "what is the structural integrity of the home?" etc. If it is a small fault with little past displacement it is probably not that bad of a situation. Some homes in the Berkeley hills very close to the Hayward fault are actually on fairly competent soil and rock. If the earthquake does not rupture up to the surface, then the shaking near the fault may be comparable to shaking in the flatter parts of Berkeley that are located farther away. However, if the fault does rupture up to the surface this is a very bad situation because this creates much stronger ground shaking right near the fault trace. (as an aside, some of the larger more recent earthquakes in California have failed to rupture up to the surface e.g. Loma Prieta, Northridge).

In summary, it is best to have a home located on stiff soil or rock that is made of wood framing (flexible) that has been seismically retrofitted to prevent cripple wall failure with a good foundation. If the home really does sit on the mapped trace of the Hayward fault for example I would avoid it.

One resource to consider is the California Division of Mines and Geology. I believe they have on-line shaking maps for different earthquake faulting scenarios. -Kevin

Buying a house on the Blakemont Slide

We are looking at buying a house in the southern part of El Cerrito and was advised by our agent to look into the ''stability'' of the land upon which houses ar located. We have seen houses we like on Seaview drive but understand that this is in an area called ''Blake Mont Slide'' and that the ground might be less stable here than elsewhere. Is this correct? Does anybody have some updated information/facts on this? The earthquake related maps on the Web does not address the issue of land-slide. As much as we would enjoy having a spectacular view, we wouldn't want waking up one morning finding ourselves at the bottom of the hill or worse) Any insight is greatly appreciated! Per