Hi Chris. Yes indeed making buildings earthquake resistant is the answer to the problem of buildings collapsing during a quake. However in reality not many people can tear down their homes and rebuild it so that it is earthquake resistant. Retrofitting can help in many ways, but is not always viable. It has been shown time and time again that people who stay inside a building near an inside wall have a far better chance of surviving then a person who runs outside during the quake. They are hit by falling debris from the building they just left.

A home in San Jose was destroyed by another much smaller quake. It was destroyed by fire when the water heater broke loose. Had it been secured as it should have there is a good chance the fire wouldn’t have started.

In my case I came though the Loma Prieta quake with flying colors. However we didn’t have electricity for almost 3 days. This also meant we had no water and no heat. In my case this was a minor inconvience because I had enough water to last for 7 days. I had the means of cooking food as well. I also had the means of having heat and light. There were many however who didn’t. While no one died from this their suffering was much greater then it needed to be.

This is what earthquake preparedness is all about. Surviving the quake it self is only part of it. What you do before the quake could make the difference in how well you survive it. Take Care…Don in creepy town