While most people aren’t going to experience the kind of damage depicted in the picture above, earthquakes can still shake us (pardon the pun). In light of last night’s earthquake, we just wanted to share some tips on what to do after an earthquake. In grade school they teach you to have a disaster kit to prepare for an earthquake and how to protect yourself from getting hurt during an earthquake, but no one really covers what you should do after. So naturally, we thought we’d help you out!
- Inspect your home for any structural damage. Sometimes these things aren’t necessarily obvious, such as if your foundation’s been cracked or if your roof’s been impaired.
- Aftershocks can occur for up to 30 days after a quake so watch out for those causing additional damage. Also because of this face, if you didn’t already have earthquake coverage before the shake, you won’t be able to add coverage for 30 days.
- Make sure all power lines and gas lines leading to your house and inside the house haven’t been damaged at all. Broken power lines can release sparks which can spark fires, the number one cause of damage related to an earthquake. Also check all water and sewage lines as leaks can cause serious damage as well yet won’t be as immediately obvious until the damage has become severe.
- Take special care inspecting chimneys as they can have damage anywhere on the entire length of the chimney and can be unsafe if damage is not properly repaired.
- Go ahead and take pictures of the damage in case your insurance agent wants them. Some agents prefer to send out someone to take pictures on behalf of the agency.
- Watch your pets. Often animals can act strangely after an earthquake. Even if you dog or cat is normally sweet and friendly, they may become aggressive/defensive after a quake because of the chaos and also animals are also more sensitive to environmental changes.
Sweeney & Sweeney wants to make sure that you’re safe. Call us up to inquire about earthquake coverage. Although you won’t be able to have it for 30 days after this shock, you want to make sure that you and your loved ones are protected for the future.