"Knowledge and preparation" is the key to survival in the event of an earthquake. It is everyone's hope that a great earthquake won't strike. However, the question is not really whether it will happen, but when. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates there is more than a 50% chance that a great quake will strike California within the next 5–20 years. Quakes are most likely to strike in known active seismic areas, but occasionally occur in areas thought to be inactive. Previously unknown faults are continually being discovered.

Most Human Injuries Are Caused by Building Contents Rather Than Structures Failing.

Experts estimate that a great earthquake in Southern California would kill from 3,000 to 14,000 people, injure 12,000 to 55,000 severely enough to require hospitalization, and cause more than $60 billion in damage.

Even moderate shakes can cause extensive damage. Recent examples include the 1983 Coalinga quake (Richter 6.7) and two in the Los Angeles area: the Whittier quake of 1987 (5.9)– which killed 7 people, injured thousands, damaged 10,000 buildings, and caused over $200 million in losses – and the Northridge quake of 1994 (6.8). The Northridge quake killed 57 people, injured thousands and caused over $20 billion in damage. A great 8.0 would be about 1,000 times more powerful than the Whittier quake.

What is the best method to use for fastening a building's contents?

Flexible vs. Rigid Fastening: We have learned from past earthquakes that securing a building's contents to its structure in a rigid way (e.g., using "L" brackets) is now known to be dangerous. Most structures are designed to absorb seismic activity and sway accordingly. If a structure is weighed down with its contents rigidly attached, the structure can be inhibited from its designed movement and can simply break away the rigid attachments. With this knowledge in mind, the use of a flexible method of fastening contents is strongly recommended. It was proven to be reliable by the 1994 Northridge earthquake and attested to by hundreds of our satisfied customers.