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Roger's Home Journal
Roger's Home JournalAfter the Earthquake--Who are you going to call?
By Roger Faris
Nov 15, 2000 -- Imagine that the phones are finally working again after a powerful Seattle Fault earthquake. Most of your calls will be to or from concerned friends and family members to see if everyone is okay. The next priority may be to start the long process of repairing damage and cleaning up the mess. Have you ever been put "on hold" while trying to get through to a private company or public utility regarding a problem with water, sewer, natural gas, power or phone service? What do you suppose that will be like in the aftermath of regional destructive ground motion?If your home and its contents have been damaged you could also experience some frustration while you attempt to contact and work with your insurance company. This may be an understatement. Getting a decision about what, if anything, will be covered by your policy could become an ordeal.
The process of settling earthquake related insurance claims often includes contacting qualified contractors and getting them to make estimates and submit bids. If a large number of homes need major structural repair there will be a severe shortage of local companies that have the necessary tools, experience, and integrity. The "fly-by-night" outfits will descend like vultures, and our misery will be compounded.
A good response to this situation is for all of us to take steps to reduce our risks before the next earthquake rolls through. One major problem is that many older homes may become uninhabitable after a moderate to strong ground shaking event. They usually lack the structural panel bracing and strong connections needed to resist horizontally applied forces which accompany earthquakes. Older homes in our area are seldom fastened to their foundations, and can literally slide off and crash to the ground.
Faced with this unacceptable prospect, several Puget Sound area city and county governments, the Washington Association of Building Officials (WABO), the Structural Engineers Association of Washington (SEAW), and many other interested people and organizations are cooperating to promote a Regional Earthquake Home Retrofit Program. This group has made tremendous progress in setting the standards and requirements for effective earthquake retrofitting of wood frame residences. They're also working to spread the word about the importance of this work, and to reduce barriers to getting it done.
Another important contributor is the University of Washington Extension and the Department of Construction Management. They've been working closely with Seattle Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA), and other Project Impact partners to offer Earthquake Home Retrofit Workshops for builders, contractors, and other building professionals. So far, the intensive six-hour sessions have been attended by 219 building professionals from all over the state. Of these, about sixty are now offering retrofitting services to their homeowner clients. (The latest Contractor Referral List can be viewed on the Internet at: www.ci.seattle.wa.us/projectimpact Follow the links to Home Retrofit, Contractor Referral List, and Trained Contractors.)
If you're a homeowner who would like earthquake home retrofit information in a two-hour class, register by calling (206) 382-2159.
The next two scheduled Earthquake Home Retrofit Workshops for Builders and Contractors are:
Saturday, November 18th, 2000, at the UW campus, Seattle - registration # 55610.
Saturday, February 24th, 2001, at the UW campus, Tacoma - registration # 56231.
Roger Faris is director of the Well Home Program at the Phinney Neighborhood Association. The program provides advice, encouragement, tools, and classes for home improvement and repair. Call (206) 789-4993 for information.
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