Monday, March 5, 2012

Is Your House Ready for Earthquakes?

Loma Prieta EQ Damage Creative Commons via wikimedia
This past week, the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management shared a video with us about the seismic retrofitting of the house of their Director Carmen Merlo.  This great 4-minute video shares the 6-week adventure she went through to ensure that her home now qualifies for earthquake insurance.

While CRESA does not endorse any specific contractor with regards to seismic retrofits, you can easily use an internet search engine to find many contractors who may be consulted regarding these types of projects.

We want to share Portland's brief video with you as a reminder that even older homes can be made more ready for an earthquake.  Several years ago, the city of Seattle issued a handbook with some educational information about seismic retrofitting homes.  It can be found by clicking on HERE.  


2 comments:

Unknown said...

“..even older homes can be made more ready for an earthquake.” That is right. There should be no limitation in making sure that your home is ready to face different weather conditions. For every different situation, there should always be an alternative way of securing it. Another thing to consider is to apply for insurance, which could cover the costs of repairing the damage.

Fe Penley

Unknown said...

Well, you always have to know what’s covered in your policy. It sounds so simple but many people don’t know what their policy covers. The first thing you have to do is to call your provider with as much query you can ask and check what your cover provides. Remember that every policy is different, and you may be surprised by what is and isn’t covered.

- Barry Bates