MINIMIZE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP by organizing important documents, strengthening your property, and considering insurance.
Earthquakes may last only seconds but they can shake up our lives for weeks and months to come. You can minimize your financial hardship by organizing important documents, strengthening your property and considering earthquake insurance.
Organize Important Documents in a “Grab and Go” Bag
You may need to leave your house quickly after an earthquake, if there’s a fire, etc. To help you organize the most important information you will need, begin with designating a “grab-and-go” backpack or bag. Consider what documents you will need if you are away from home for an extended time (such as what you will need as identification, to reach loved ones, to file an insurance claim, etc.) Put all of these important documents in a sealed plastic bag, then place it into your “grab-and-go” bag. Leave your “grab-and-go” somewhere you can get to easily.
Consider what important documents you will need:
- Copies of identification.
- Copies of insurance cards.
- List of emergency contact numbers.
- Photos of belongings in your home. (This will help you file an insurance claim)
Common building problems
Most houses, apartment buildings, or commercial buildings are not as safe as they could be, especially if they are older. While building codes have been improved over time, few building codes require issues with older buildings to be fixed. Still, there are things that you can do to improve the structural integrity of your home or other building. Below are some of the most common issues. Others are listed on the menus at right (residential or commercial).
Inadequate foundations. Look under your house at your foundation. If the foundation is damaged or built in the “pier and post” style, consult a contractor or engineer about replacing it with a continuous perimeter foundation. Look for bolts, and square washers, in the mudsills (so you see a connection between the base of the home’s wood frame and the poured concrete foundation). They should be no more than 1.8 meters (6 feet) apart in a single story and 1.2 meters (4 feet) apart in a multistory building. Adding bolts to unsecured houses is one of the most important steps toward earthquake safety. This can be done by a contractor or by someone skilled at home maintenance with proper earthquake retrofit training.
Unbraced cripple walls. Homes with a crawl space should have panels of plywood connecting the studs of the short “cripple” walls (see figure). You or a contractor can strengthen the cripple walls relatively inexpensively.
Unreinforced masonry (URM). All masonry (brick or block walls) should be reinforced. Some communities may have a program for retrofitting buildings made of unreinforced masonry. If your house has masonry as a structural element consult a structural engineer to find what can be done. Inadequately braced chimneys are a more common problem. Consult a professional to determine if your chimney is safe.
The Earthquake Country Alliance has created a guide on how to consult or a contractor or engineer when looking at retrofit projects for your home.
Do you own your home?
Recommendations for what you can do to strengthen your home are also available from FEMA – Earthquake Safety at Home.
For those who rent
As a renter, you have less control over the structural integrity of your building, but you do control which apartment or house you rent:
- Structures made of unenforced brick or block walls can collapse and cause great loss of life.
- Apartment buildings with “tuck-under” parking space openings can also collapse.
- Foundation and cripple wall failures can cause expensive damage but less loss of life.
- Objects attached to the sides of buildings, such as staircases, balconies, and decorations, can break off in earthquakes.
Ask your landlord these questions:
- What retrofitting has been done on this building?
- Have the water heaters been strapped to the wall studs?
- Can I secure furniture to the walls?
If you live in a mobile home…
Look under your home. If you only see a metal or wood “skirt” on the outside with concrete blocks or steel tripods or jacks supporting your home, you need to have an “engineered tie-down system” or an “earthquake-resistant bracing system” (ERBS) installed.
More Ways to Protect Yourself Financially: Earthquake Insurance
If you own your home it is probably your biggest single asset. You have worked hard to secure your piece of the American Dream by becoming a homeowner. In seconds, your dream can become a nightmare when an earthquake strikes and damages your home and personal belongings. Even if you follow the steps in this website, it is likely your home will still have some level of damage, and you will need to repair or replace belongings. One option for managing these potential costs is to buy earthquake insurance.
Renters and homeowners can protect themselves with earthquake insurance. Without earthquake insurance, you will be responsible for all costs to repair or rebuild your home and replace your personal property and in most cases, residential homeowner insurance policies do not cover earthquake damage. It is generally a separate policy you can purchase when buying homeowners insurance.
The cost of the earthquake policy you are offered is based on a number of factors, including your home’s location, age, construction type, and value. It is up to each homeowner to consider their individual risk factors and then weigh the cost of earthquake coverage against the benefits that coverage may offer after a devastating earthquake.
Many companies issue insurance policies, which are designed to rebuild your home if it suffers significant damage from an earthquake. However, the premiums, deductibles, and benefits vary depending on the insurer.
Contact your homeowners insurance company or agent to help you evaluate your earthquake risk factors and then consider whether earthquake insurance is a good choice for you.
Flood Insurance in U.S. Covers Tsunami
If you live in a tsunami zone, consider FEMA flood insurance. Homeowner’s policies do not cover damage caused by flood or tsunami. For more information, visit the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) website at www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/
Now that you are prepared to Minimize your Financial hardships, learn how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On during an Earthquake with Step 5.
