With the heartbreaking news of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan still pouring in, local media outlets in Seattle have been reporting on what a similar earthquake would look like here. This begs the question, are you and your home ready for an earthquake? The City’s Office of Emergency Management has just posted some useful how-to’s on ways to be safe during and earthquake or tsunami. There’s also several upcoming classes to help you get prepared.
One class that I have personally taken is the Earthquake Home Retrofit class and I highly recommend it. Surprisingly, most houses built before 1980 are not secured to the foundation. As a result, during an earthquake homes can shake off their foundation and become damaged. Most homes can be retrofitted using a series of typical plans developed for home owners. The City also has reduced fee permits for completing these improvements.
You can find out when the Earthquake Home Retrofit class or other great courses will be held HERE.