This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 11, 2011 - In a hilarious October 2010 episode of "Modern Family," Phil Dunphy hastily bolts a fallen shelf to the wall minutes after an earthquake, tricking his wife into thinking the chore hadn't fallen off his honey-do list.
Turns out the forgotten task is no laughing matter. At an earthquake outreach event for the public at the Shrewsbury Community Center Thursday presenters were dead serious about anchoring furniture -- one of many simple, inexpensive tasks that can save lives.
More people are injured during an earthquake by bookshelves, TVs and flying knick-knacks than by crumbling structures, according to Brian Blake of the Central United States Earthquake Consortium.
"In the United States, it's the things inside the building that hurt people more often than the buildings collapsing," Blake said.
Price Tag For Safety: $56
Securing your appliances and water heater are also top priorities in well-prepared homes and businesses. If a water heater takes a tumble, you'll have a flood on your hands. Plus, you'll lose a large, safe source of drinking water. And if it's gas-powered, a fire could result.
Identifying your risks is the first step toward earthquake preparedness. And that's something every homeowner and business can do, according to Claudette Fetterman of FEMA.
"Here's the deal: We can take control of our risks," Fetterman said.
How do you know what to secure? Do a "home hazards hunt," looking for anything, that if it fell, could hurt someone, block an exit or start a fire. Don't forget things like glass vases and heavy artwork. Move flammable liquids to a shed or the garage, and install flexible gas lines and water lines to prevent breakage.
Steps two and three are making a plan and taking action. Step three need not cost a bundle; the average house can be secured for $56, according to Candace Iskowitz, of the Institute for Business and Home Safety.
"All you need are several types of hardware, some screw eyes, wire, plastic anchors for plaster walls, 'L' and 'Z' brackets and cabinet latches for the kitchen to keep things from flying out of cabinets," Iskowitz said.
If you've got more money to spend, you can fortify your home's walls and roof. The difference between a house that's destroyed and one that's still standing after a sizeable earthquake is about a $2,500 investment.
'Drop, Cover And Hold On'
"Stop, drop and roll" is something almost every child is taught to do in a fire. Safety experts want the phrase "drop, cover and hold on" to become just as familiar in case of earthquake.
"If you're outside, get to an open area; if you're inside, drop, take cover under a sturdy object and hold on to it firmly until the shaking stops," Blake said.
Another important element of preparedness is having earthquake insurance on your home. While many people assume that it's included in their coverage, only 35 percent of homeowners actually have it. Earthquake insurance is not required by mortgage lenders, and some insurance companies don't even offer it.
That raised a red flag for Lynn Purvis of Fenton, who came to the event to become better prepared.
"I'm going to go home and ask my husband to read our insurance policy to make sure we have earthquake insurance," Purvis said.
But Purvis was less certain about securing her furniture in case of earthquake.
"I do understand that you need to strap your stuff to the walls," Purvis said. "But then you won't be able to rearrange your furniture, and when you move you'll have all those holes to fix."
A trip to the hardware store is likely in Clayton resident Lon Davis' future. He left the community center thinking about how to secure his water heater for reasons of safety and survival.
"Frankly, I just never thought about it before," Davis said. "But in an emergency, drinking water is everything."
