How prepared is our community for a natural disaster? by Michael Tenhulzen

from the Greater Redmond Chamber Commerce March Newsletter...

In our area, single family residences most susceptible to damage from an earthquake are built from 1947 to 1988, depending on methods, materials, regulations, and soil types of their construction.  -- Mike Tenhulzen

How prepared is our community for a natural disaster?   By Mike Tenhulzen, Tenhulzen Remodeling

Redmond has a relatively long history of community activism around disaster response.

More recently, the Redmond Citizens Corps Council (http://www.redmondccc.org/ ) has been organizing groups like Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) to increase awareness and improve response to natural disasters. So, from a planning perspective, community leaders are doing a good job of planning. To augment their efforts, the business community should prepare as well.

Commercial and residential structures that are not engineered to resist seismic activity may become uninhabitable after a major earthquake. Because commercial structures generally adhere to stricter guidelines than residential, it does not necessarily mean your place of business is earthquake-proof. It is worth your time to have a structural assessment performed in the interest of protecting your investment.

Using residential housing as an example; in 1976, The Uniform Building Code adopted standard construction
methods for wood frame homes, followed by incremental improvements to the code through 1994. Homes built since 1994 are the most resilient structures due to the seismic requirements detailed in the current building codes.  Read More >>

In our area, single family residences most susceptible to damage from an earthquake are built from 1947 to 1988, depending on methods, materials, regulations, and soil types of their construction. Some local municipalities offer contractors specialized training to perform seismic retrofitting on existing homes. An internet resource, http://www.seattle.gov/emergency/info  provides excellent information for residential retrofitting.

Your Neighborhood (MYN), and Seattle’s Earthquake Home Retrofit Contractors, referenced in the above
link. We maintain a commitment to safety training and emergency response for 2 primary reasons. Firstly, to
keep our employees and their families safe, and secondly, to provide professional and skilled response to the community when most needed.

In light of the seismic activity all over the world, I encourage all Chamber members to invest some energy in the following:

Step 1 Education

Understand how to prepare your place of business, home, family and neighborhood by attending a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class. Contact Janeen Olson at 425-556-2251 or jrolson@redmond.gov .

Step 2 Audit your business and home.

 The ground shakes and rolls during a major earthquake and can easily shift heavy objects. A qualified building inspector can assess structural integrity and a qualified handyman or contractor can attach tall furniture, mechanical equipment and storage to the wall.In light of the seismic activity all over the world, I encourage all Chamber members to invest some energy in the following:

Ref:  Tenhulzen website:  http://www.tenhulzen.com/aboutus/ownership/

By Michael Tenhulzen
Mike Tenhulzen Remodeling
Greater Redmond Chamber Newsletter, March, 2011