A couple years ago, I challenged PG&E to stop their “field” employees from telling folks what they must know isn’t true:  they routinely advise people not to get an automatic gas shut-off valve because “a garbage truck going by will activate it.”

A fellow with PG&E government relations got in touch and reminded me that the company was “neutral” when it comes to automatic gas shut-off valves.  When I told him that I heard over and over again that the company field employees were saying this, he was surprised and promised to bring the issue up with senior management.

If PG&E management got the message, they certainly haven’t done anything.  I am still getting reports of this (untrue) warning – the last time being just a week ago.

I think it’s important that the facts are clear:  all the automatic gas shut-off valves approved by the state are calibrated to activate at about 5.2 – 5.4 shaking.  No truck, not even a tank, will activate them.  Only serious earthquake shaking.

Larry checking seismic attachment of a house to its foundation.

And yes, we’re still installing the shut-off valves – we’ve done around 1,850 of them in the bay area over the past few years.  Most standard installations cost $225 – $245.

https://quakeprepare.com/quakevalves/

QuakePrepare
Larry Guillot
707-965-3299
https://www.quakeprepare.com

There are different views among experts as to where your emergency supply of food should be stored.

Some insist that it should be outside because of the potential difficulty of getting to it in the house if there is structural damage after the quake (e.g., if you have it in a closet and the door is jammed and won’t open); or, if the house is so damaged you can’t safely stay in it.

Others think it’s OK to store food in the house, say, under beds.  This lessens the concern about the food going bad.  I’ve also had more than one person say their container, even though it was sealed, took on water and ruined sleeping bags, blankets, etc.

My inclination is to go with keeping emergency food inside (other than the garage).  Even if you have to temporarily abandon the house, you can still take it with you.  If you opt for a closet, that’s just another reason to keep a crowbar under your bed – in case you have to pry open a door.

What does my QuakeConsult cover?  See http://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Quake-preparedness-consultant-seeks-to-save-homes-2437241.php

A big storm in northern California can knock out power to many thousand PG&E customers.

Let’s take this as a very small warning as to what things could be like after a serious quake.  The number of homes without power will be huge, and not just scattered neighborhoods here and there.

http://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Quake-preparedness-consultant-seeks-to-save-homes-2437241.php

Photo of Larry checking seismic attachment of house to foundation

Earthquake Preparedness Issue:

Earthquake Retrofits:  I’m Bolted, I’m OK?

I hear from way too many folks who have looked in their crawl space, seen some bolts connecting their “mud sill” to their foundation, and think “Oh, good, my foundation is bolted, I’ve got a retrofit.”

It used to be that the Red Cross and other disaster preparedness groups told us to have enough food and water for 3 days.  Then it evolved to a week.

Now we see the Red Cross recommending enough food & water for 2 weeks.  If you think about our recent disasters, this really makes sense.  For more info on food & water, visit my other blog post:   https://quakeprepare.com/2012/06/how-much-food-and-water/

There’s only one quake preparedness expert who does in-home consultations:  yours truly.  Not sure you need one?  Check it out:http://www.sfgate.com/living/article/Quake-preparedness-consultant-seeks-to-save-homes-2437241.php