The next big one is bound to hit within the next decade; are you prepared for it?
Impending doom is something not many people want to think about. As a result, a lot of us aren’t prepared for when the inevitable happens. Earthquakes are one of those dangers. Tectonic plates slowly move across the surface of the Earth, about an inch every year. When they come into contact with another tectonic plate, their kinetic energy gets transferred into seismic energy. That’s the energy we feel as an earthquake. What makes them even more dangerous is that we are unable to detect where or when the next earthquake will occur. There are about 20,000 earthquakes each year, but the majority of them can only be measured with the most sensitive of seismographs. It’s the ones we can feel that we need to worry about. Do you know what you should do when the next big earthquake strikes?
Follow These Earthquake Safety Tips to Prepare for the Next Big One.
- Add anchor bolts or steel plates between your home and foundation.
- Brace your home’s weaker walls with sheathing.
- Add movement-resisting frames in homes with soft structures.
- Brace unreinforced chimneys, masonry, concrete walls, and foundations.
- Install an automatic seismic gas shut off valve on your gas meter.
- Strap the water heater to the structure of the house.
- Keep an emergency supply kit stored in a waterproof container in an easily accessible area of your home.
A solid earthquake insurance policy is just what you need to help your home or business stay above ground when the next earthquake hits. For all of your insurance coverage questions, please contact your team at Hoffman Brown Company in Sherman Oaks, California. We are happy to be of service!
