One thing you might not currently be thinking about is earthquake preparation. Perhaps you’re going about daily life without caring if an earthquake will shake your Seattle home. However, that’s not a good way to approach the situation. Geologists predict that a megathrust earthquake will shake the area. It’s just simply a matter of when it will happen. One of the biggest things you should do as a homeowner is to ensure you are prepared. The best way to do that is by working with a company such as Evergreen Seismic. With the help of an earthquake retrofitting specialist in Seattle, you can get your home ready for an earthquake that may happen in the future.
Understanding The Need For Earthquake Awareness
Earthquakes happen because plates in the earth start to shift against each other. They can be minor or major. When there are significant shifts, it shows up on the Richter Scale with a magnitude such as 5.2 or 9.3. The larger that number, the more damage that occurs. When you’re not prepared, it can shift your entire home off the foundation or bring it down flat.
Learning about the chances of that happening in Seattle can help you be a well-prepared homeowner!
Subduction Zones
The area that Seattle sits on is called the North American Block. The Seattle fault line sits in a place called the Cascadia Subduction Zone. When you’re thinking of the shifting and moving, it happens way below the earth’s surface. However, when the results come to the top of the surface is when damage can really take place. For example, a megathrust of the plates happened years ago off the coast of Japan. That ended in a massive tsunami coming ashore and losing many lives and property. Scientists say that one of these megathrust earthquakes typically happens every 500 years. The last one on record occurred over 320 years ago. Right now, the odds are that one of these megathrust earthquakes could hit Seattle in the next 50 years is at about 14%.
There are two areas of the Cascadia Subduction zone to be aware of. There’s the locked zone area where the megaquakes can cause massive devastation to occur. Deeper into the zone is the site where silent earthquakes happen. These may be felt as a slight tremor or a slip event. The next major quake in Seattle on the fault line will be right under the city. That’s why you must start with earthquake preparations before that time occurs.
Having peace of mind that your home can withstand the inevitable megaquake is easy to do when you work with our Evergreen Seismic experts.
What We Do
Our team has been in business for years, offering assistance to those who want to seismic retrofit their homes to ensure that they are stable and on firm foundations. As a family-owned and operated company, there are over 18 years of experience in doing just that. We can come out and evaluate the home, provide you with an estimate on retrofitting and securing the home, and get to work as soon as you approve. Our six-phase approach works from start to finish to make sure your home is properly engineered and constructed to handle earthquakes that could hit at any moment.
Our process looks like this:
- Initial assessment
- Design and engineering process
- Impact of the project
- Obtaining permits
- Work starts
- Structural and final inspections
- Finish replacement if chosen
- Walk-through and the final cleaning of the home
- Documentation necessary for the retrofit
While you don’t want to fixate on this subject to the point where you live in fear, you need to think logically and take the time to be prepared. It is best to have your home inspected by one of our expert team members to discuss options to help you have peace of mind.
Being proactive and having your home retrofitted now is a great way to know that you’re secure, no matter how big or small the next quake may be. You can do that by working with a company that takes pride in helping homeowners just like you to protect their homes and families.
Get Started Today
Earthquakes can be devastating no matter when they hit. Take steps today to protect your home, your family, and the valuables inside your home. Call our office at (206) 984-2580 for more information or to set up a consultation appointment with an earthquake retrofitting specialist in Seattle. We are here to help you regain peace of mind and protect everything in your home. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team today if you have questions or concerns you want to take care of. We’re here to help!
We would definitely hire this company again. They had good communication; were prompt; respectful of our property; and completed the work in less time than expected. In general, they did a great job.