protect your belongings:

Falling objects and toppling furniture can be dangerous during an earthquake and expensive to replace or repair.

Bookshelves in the library at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. This damage was caused by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake on January 24, 1980. Note the small brackets which tore out of the wall. Other damage inside buildings included falling light fixtures, loosened acoustic tiles, tipped filing cabinets and other office equipment. Photo from U.S.G.S.

Secure your water heater. Wrap a 1-1/2-inch-wide, 16-gauge-thick metal strap (A) around the top of the water heater and bolt the ends together. Do the same about 1/3 of the way up the side of the water heater. Take four lengths of EMT electrical conduit, each no longer than 30 inches. Flatten the ends. Bolt one end to the metal strap as shown (B). Screw the other end to a 2-inch by 4-inch stud in the wall using a 5/16-inch by 3-inch lag screw. Be sure a flexible pipe (C) is used to contact the gas supply to the heater. California Office of Emergency Services

• Move heavy items, such as pictures, mirrors or tall dressers, away from your bed.

• Secure tall furniture and bookcases with lag bolts to wall studs. Add lips to shelves to prevent costly items from sliding off their supports.

• Put latches on cabinet doors, especially at home in your kitchen and at work or in school laboratories.

• Fasten heavy or precious items to shelves or tables. Secure file cabinets, computers, televisions and machinery that may move during an earthquake. Use easy tack putty to secure fragile objects on shelves.

• Store potentially hazardous materials such as cleaners, fertilizers, chemicals, and petroleum products in appropriate containers and in sturdy cabinets fastened to the wall or floor.

• Fasten heavy objects to the building structure and not just to a movable wall in your office. Ask a carpenter or an electrician to determine whether light fixtures and modular ceiling systems are securely fastened.

• Be sure your water heater is fastened to the wall studs and that all gas heaters and appliances are connected to the gas pipe through flexible tubing. If you use propane gas, be sure the storage tank is secured.

• Secure your wood stove to wall or floor studs. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher close at hand.

• Check with your school officials to be sure they have taken similar precautions.

This photo of the Ferndale library after the 1992 Cape Mendocino earthquake. Note that heavy bookshelves have toppled but light weight paperback rack is still standing. Heater at back of room has come off wall. Photo by Kevin Bayless

WOOD BURNING STOVES

Free-standing wood burning stoves pose an additional risk in an earthquake. A Humboldt State University survey found that over half the wood stoves in the epicentral area slid during the April 1992 earthquakes and a number toppled over. Heavy objects such as stoves are actually more likely to move during strong ground shaking than lighter objects. Fire codes leave the stoves unsupported on all four sides and vulnerable to sliding or overturning in an earthquake. If the stove were to tip and/or separate from the stove pipe, cinders or sparks might easily cause a fire in the home.

In order to reduce the potential fire hazard following an earthquake, the stove should be anchored to the floor and stove pipe sections secured. It is important that the seismic anchors or braces do not conduct heat from the stove creating a fire hazard. Although there are many types of stoves in use, the following recommendations can be used for common installations:

• Stoves resting on a brick hearth can be anchored using bricks and mortar.

• Mobile home approved units come with pre-drilled holes in the pedestals or legs and can be safely anchored to the under-lying floor framing.

• Those resting on a concrete slab can be anchored directly to the concrete.

• Stovepipes should be anchored to the flue exit and each of the stove pipe segments should be secured together.

STOVE ANCHORAGE For stove on a brick hearth, anchor stove with 3/8-inch diameter bolt (A) through 1/2-inch hole to new brick (B). Grout brick to existing hearth with 1-inch new grout (C). Alternatively, build 8-inch square brick pad with grout pocket (D) at each leg. Provide at least 1-inch grout all around leg, fill pocket completely with grout. Provide sheet metal screws (E) at flue exit and between stovepipe sections. Provide radiation shield with pipe clamp (F) braced to wall using two Simpson WTT187 tension ties or equivalent (G) attached to wall stud with 3/8-inch by 3-inch lag screws. California Office of Emergency Services.

PROPANE TANKS

Many residents in rural areas have above-ground propane tanks. These tanks may move, slide or topple during heavy ground shaking and are potentially dangerous unless both the tank and the pipe are properly secured. Gas leaks may cause fires. The following recommendations can be used to reduce the post-earthquake fire hazard associated with propane tanks.

• Mount the tank on a continuous concrete pad and bolt the 4 legs to the pad.

• Install flexible hose connection between tank, supply line and entrance to home.

• Clear area of tall or heavy objects which can fall and rupture tank or supply line.

• Keep a wrench tied on a cord near the shut-off valve and make sure family members know how to use it.

• For large tanks (i.e. farm or commercial use) seismic shut-off valves are available.

PROPANE TANK ANCHORAGE Mount tank on 6-inch thick concrete pad (A) using four 1/2 diameter bolts (B) with 3-inch minimum embedment into the concrete. Provide a flexible hose connection (C) between the tank and the rigid supply line. California Office of Emergency Services.

For more information on how to use these tips or for configurations other than ones discussed here, consult your stove or propane vendor, local OES and/or fire department. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher easily accessible and that all family members know how to use it.

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