If you live west of Denver, you live in earthquake country.
Here in Los Angeles, we are constantly reminded of that reality. Sometimes the reminders are small — a quick 3.2 magnitude quake in the middle of the night that barely causes more than a conversation the next morning. Other times, the shaking becomes violent enough to instantly change the inside of a home.
Unfortunately, earthquakes do not arrive by appointment.
You cannot schedule your kitchen to be secured the day before the next moderate quake hits Southern California.
After living through the 1994 Northridge earthquake firsthand, one thing became very clear to me:
The kitchen is often one of the most dangerous rooms inside the home during a moderate earthquake.
Why?
Because kitchens commonly contain large amounts of unsecured glass, ceramics, heavy serving dishes, bowls, platters, bottles, and other hard objects stored overhead inside cabinets.
During a moderate earthquake, cabinet doors can suddenly burst open, sending dishes, glasses, bottles, and kitchenware crashing across the room within seconds.
And unlike the “Big One” people often imagine, moderate earthquakes are far more likely to occur.
Most people do not think about this danger until after they experience it firsthand.
My wife and I were fortunate during Northridge because the earthquake struck around 4:30 in the morning while we were in bed. But over the years, I often thought about how different the situation could have been if the quake had happened during dinner, while entertaining guests, or during a family gathering.
Almost every social gathering eventually ends up in the kitchen, where the food, drinks, and conversation usually are.
That is why professionally securing kitchen cabinet doors should often be one of the first priorities in interior earthquake safety planning.
And while cabinet latching may sound simple, every kitchen is different.
Cabinet materials, door styles, hardware, wall conditions, shelf loads, and installation methods all vary from home to home. Choosing and installing the proper earthquake-resistant cabinet safety systems requires experience, planning, and the proper tools.
At QuakeSafe Home, we specialize in helping Los Angeles homeowners reduce interior earthquake hazards by professionally securing kitchen cabinets and other important interior areas to help reduce damage, disruption, and injury during moderate earthquakes.
Because earthquake safety is not just about surviving the shaking.
It is also about reducing the damage inside the home and the disruption of your plans afterward.
