More than 600,000 people are registered for ShakeOut drills this year in Washington state — part of 13 million registered across the nation and internationally. While earthquake hazards vary from region to region, most of Washington state is prone to earthquakes. The Great Washington ShakeOut is a statewide opportunity to practice how to be safer during big earthquakes
Is your home safe?
Reducing the dangers of structural failure is important, but so is securing the contents of buildings. Look around your house. Secure anything heavy enough to hurt you if it were to fall on you, or which is fragile or expensive enough to be a significant loss if it falls. Move bookcases and other tall furniture away from beds, sofas, or other places where people sit or sleep. Move heavy objects to lower shelves. Then look for other items in your home that may be hazardous in an earthquake — most items can be secured from falling in an earthquake with inexpensive materials found at a hardware store and a little bit of time.
Your home hazard inspection list should include kitchen cabinets, electronics, water heaters, bookcases and more. Here are some basic tips for what to look for and what to do.
More information about safety and preparedness from the Washington state Emergency Management Division.
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