3 Steps to Seismic Safety

Step 2: Reduce Your Risk

pbrundle's picture

The best mitigation reduces your probable losses for a reasonable investment. Your probable losses are the losses you can expect given your seismic forecast and how well your home and contents would fare in the event of an earthquake. Probable losses can be a difficult concept, but understanding how you can affect your probable damage is the key to reducing your risk.

Here is an example. Remember that weather forecast analogy? If you drive, your probable loss from rain is much lower than if you walk, because if it rains your car will keep you mostly dry. If you are carrying a cake, your probable losses are increased, because if it rains you are very likely to get wet and ruin your cake. But if you wear galoshes and eat your cake before you leave the house, you have very low probable losses even if the chance of rain is high.

There are three main ways you can reduce your probable losses from earthquakes:

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