Protecting Your Investment in the Event of an Earthquake
By: Drew Meyers, Business Development Specialist | November 28, 2006
Many of us, specifically those on the west coast, live near fault lines and are at risk of being impacted by an earthquake in our lifetimes. With their homes being most people’s single largest investment, it’s realistic to ask yourself — would my house survive an earthquake? To get a better sense of whether or not you and your home are at risk, I created this map which displays earthquake zones throughout the United States, 0 being the safest and 4 being the most dangerous zones:
Here in Seattle, not only are we in a red an orange zone, a recent Washington Post has me more worried; it includes a stern warning that Seattle is 100 years overdue for the next “big one.” As an added threat for coastal cities like Seattle, massive earthquakes often lead to tsunamis, such as the one that struck the Indian Ocean just two years ago (pictured below). We saw through that disaster how entire cities can be washed away in a blink of any eye.
With earthquakes, the biggest risks for homeowners are with old houses that are not attached to their foundations, such as my family’s home in Issaquah. Many homes that were built before 1980 don’t meet today’s safety codes.
What can you do to makes your home safer? Redfin mentions in a recent blog post that in order to be protected in an earthquake homes must be bolted to their foundations. The blog notes that this project can cost as much as $20,000 if you hire a contractor, and around $1,500 if you do it yourself.
If you own an older home, aren’t a do-it-yourselfer, and are wondering where to turn, the city of Seattle provides a great list of contractors that have completed the Professional Home Retrofit Training provided by the University of Washington Extension Program. However, if you are a handyman, get ready to spend lots of quality time under your house!
In addition to the major project of securing your home to your foundation, there are some basic steps you can take to prepare yourself for an earthquake. For instance, stocking up on disaster supplies such as flashlights, batteries, bottled water, canned food, and first-aid supplies is recommended. LifeEssentials by Zee has a great “Preparing for an Earthquake” guide for further details. If you are pro-active in your preparation, you may be thankful when the “big one” finally does hit.
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- Categories: Real Estate Oddities, Vacation Homes, Zillow
Comments
10 Comments so far
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Josh Dorkin on November 28, 2006 9:42 pm
They’ve been saying that a few areas are due for the big one - not only up north. I’m sure the folks by the New Madrid Fault in Missouri and the San Andreas in California know how you feel.
Drew M from Zillow on November 29, 2006 10:11 am
Josh-
Thanks for dropping by the Z Blog! We’ve certainly been expecting one here in Seattle for awhile (knock on wood). All we can really do is hope we are in a safe location when it does hit.
blahblahblah on November 29, 2006 12:09 pm
your image shows orange/3 in seattle, can you confirm why you say seattle is in red/4?
And does your map use any of the new data being produced by the UW and slowly tricked out. (soil map which can also be used to predict ground acceleration)
Drew M from Zillow on November 29, 2006 12:27 pm
Thanks for your feedback- You are absolutely right about Seattle being a zone 3. I will correct the blog post.
My map does not use any UW data. I used a dataset I found at Pacific Disaster Center (http://www.pdc.org/)
teresa boardman on November 29, 2006 2:28 pm
I love living so far into the green zone that earth quakes are unheard of. I remember my Grandfather, who was born in the 1880’s talking about some kind of tremer iin Owatanna Minnesota at around the turn of the century but I have never found any written reports about it.
David Kirchner on November 29, 2006 8:46 pm
One thing I’m curious about is if you do the do-it-yourself-$1500 repair, and an earthquake happens, will your insurance company still cover damage to your house? Or will they instead try to claim that your repair job weakened the structure somehow?
Drew M from Zillow.com on December 3, 2006 2:22 pm
David-
Certainly a great question—it sounds like something you’ll have to ask your insurance company. Hopefully, the answer is yes in the majority of cases (I’m a do-it-yourselfer too).
Marco on September 24, 2007 6:51 am
Very nice and interesting post… I think we can stop mother earth on her rampage… =)
the crazy realtor on March 31, 2008 1:27 am
after katrina, i think it’s safe to say we need to protect our investment from any natural disaster.
however, something has to be said for insurance companies that take premiums and then bail when natural disasters hit. either that, or they find a hidden clause in the fine print that excludes said disaster,
Layla on April 17, 2008 11:44 am
Nothing can be as important as knowing first aid in a time of need. It truly can be a lifesaver.