Earthquake experience

[yardfarmer]

I've only experienced a couple of earthquakes, the largest was a 5, but it was pretty far away, so only slight shaking.

Got me thinking about what to do if a really big one comes along, since I live in the Pac NW near the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

One concern is all the home canned goods stored on selves. the shelves are fastened to the basement wall with concrete anchors, and I have a back and sides on each shelve, but it just doesn't seem that these precautions will contain the jars during a large event. I can just imagine the huge mess all the canned goods would make when they hit the floor.

Anyone have experience with major earthquakes that you would like to share? Any ideas on how to secure canned goods? Is there a better way to store the jars?

Ideas will be greatly appreciated.

 

[cjparker]

The biggest earthquake I've been in was a 6.5 right before Christmas several years ago. It was enough to get my attention!

We always used museum putty, often referred to as earthquake putty for our breakables such as good glassware. It's just what it sounds like; a putty used to stick stuff in place. You use a piece about the size of a small wad of gum. The item stays stuck until you twist and tug the item off of where you have it placed. I don't know that it would work for canned goods in glass jars, as it would be a nuisance to remove them all the time. Maybe you can add a "lip" to the edge of the shelves so that the jars wouldn't be so likely to fall off. Or you can "corral" the jars by using a bungie cord to hold them against the back of the shelf. Just use hooks on either side of the shelving that stretch across the width of the shelves with enough tension to hold the jars and cans in place.

 

[tamlynn]

We keep full canning jars in boxes on shelves. It's not ideal- I'd love to have cabinets with doors that could latch shut, but we don't have those.

 

[TanksHill]

I have been in a bunch of earthquakes. Ranging from small to pretty large. The last was that 7 pointer at Easter this year. I was actually in Mo. when it hit. But when we got home everything was right where I left it. At that time I had most of my canning in a metal cabinet, with locking doors, screwed to a concrete wall. But noting fell from the regular shelves either. Now I have a more conventional pantry. Shelves up the wall with a small lip.


I think it would have to be a pretty big quake with an epicenter really close to knock my stuff off the new shelf. I guess I just need to hope that never happens.

Not sure if that helped you. I look forward to seeing in any of the No. Ca folks have any advice.

g

 

[yardfarmer]

Thanks you all for the replies.

cj...museum putty? never heard of it, sounds like good stuff to have around. will do a search for it.

tam... we've been discussing cabinets, we use boxes just don't know how well they would stay put.

tanks... nice looking shelves, i should put up a front like you have there, but the metal cabinets sound good too.

I hope we don't experience a big one, but being prepared is always wise. thanks again.

 

[patandchickens]

Any way to put doors on the shelves (perhaps made of wire mesh or expanded metal) so that jars can't shake off?

As far as keeping shelves from toppling over altogether, is the area narrow enough that you could attach pieces of 2x6 (or whatever) to the ceiling, all the way from the top f the shelves to some other fixed point like the center beam of the basement or the opposite wall, so that as long as that brace stayed in place the shelf unit could not topple?

Pat

 

[Shiloh Acres]

My problem was actually a snake (SHUDDER) - a LARGE one - that knocked jars off in my pantry, so now I have a double row of baling wire across the front. Not as pretty as the shelves above (nice work!) and I also like the bungee cord idea.

Didn't have trouble beyond that while in Cali and experiencing quakes. I did want to say though that I saw the shelf putty stuff at Wal-Mart out there.

 

[ORChick]

The only 'quake that actually knocked things off shelves for me was the Loma Prieta 'quake in 1989 (when freeways and bridges pancaked). The epicenter was only about 10-12 miles away from us, but luckily (for us) we didn't get much damage; a lot of people much further away got hit worse. But, back to topic, not much came off our shelves, but I was kicking myself that I hadn't put a lip of some sort on the front edge. Now I live in Oregon, where an earthquake is possible, but I have to admit I don't worry about it much, not like I did in the S.F. Bay Area. I'm more worried about forest fires.

 

[FarmerDenise]

We have sliding doors on some of our cabinets and I keep the stuff in jars on the lower level. So they won't go far and hopefully wont break. If they got shook out of the cabinet, the house would probably fall down too So I am not worried about the canning jars.

 

[TanksHill]

That's kinda what I figure too.