Ways Of Curbing Earthquake Damage

| Thursday, March 24, 2016
By Frances Harris


If you live in an earthquake-prone area, you probably live in fear because it sometimes comes when least expected. However, you should always be prepared in case it occurs so that you can avoid massive damage. Below are some tips you can follow on how to reduce earthquake damage.

When buying furniture, you would probably go for the glass table rather than the wooden one. Not a bad choice but in the case of quake, fragile furniture like glass tend to cause more damage than wooden ones. Moreover, the glass ones might even cut you or your family members during or even after the earthquake when trying to clean up.

If you are living in an area prone to these calamities, consider building a wooden house. A slab or brick house will not survive these forces. Many people prefer a brick building since it is attractive and classy but during a calamity, you will incur great losses. The Wooden house will survive the tremors.

Choose the strong material for your plumbing needs. You should also ensure that you tighten your plumbing. This will avoid water and gas leakages which might cause a fire, and the water leak will cause damage to your other properties. If you have other dangerous chemicals, ensure they are properly stored and well tightened.

Once you have checked all the above, remember you need to stay equally safe. There are natural ways that you can employ to keep safe. Some methods like ducking and covering oneself are likely to lead to death. Curling up is the best posture to take, and has been proven since observations have it that most children and cats survive earthquakes. Covering yourself with some object will perhaps leave you crushed to death.

If the tremor occurs while you are on the road, consider stopping the engine and getting out of the vehicle. Curl up in a fetal position near your car. Remaining inside the vehicle is dangerous since they can crash when you are inside. Walking out will increase your chances of surviving the calamity.

If you are inside the house at the beginning of an earthquake, try as much as possible to go outside or at least near the exit. You are more likely to get out or be rescued easily and faster if you are near the exit. Surviving while on the outside is also more possible than when trapped inside. It is tempting and also seems to make sense that when you stand in a doorway, you might survive a quake. That only gives the opposite results of survival. If the doorjamb happens to fall inward or outward, the ceiling above you is likely to fall and crash you.

For safety purposes, ensure you have a reachable fire extinguisher around your house. The number of fire extinguishers will depend on the size of your house. A fire extinguisher is essential because fire might start from electric wires, spilt chemical or broken gas pipes. A fire extinguisher at hand will stop the fire before it gets worse and cause more damage.




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