Determine the safety of your home and school

Most people in Alaska are safe at home if they live in a one- or two-story wood-frame building. These buildings are not likely to collapse during earthquakes. The most common damage is light cracking of interior walls, cracking of masonry chimneys, and cracking and possible collapse of brick or masonry veneer on exterior walls. A cracked chimney should be inspected by a qualified professional before the woodstove or fireplace is used.

Unfortunately, some one- or two-story wood-frame buildings can be hazardous. Buildings that are not adequately bolted to the foundation may fail at or near ground level. Information on adding foundation bolts and bracing the cripple walls found in some older homes is provided at right. Correcting these problems will vastly reduce the earthquake risk for many residents. Bracing of chimneys in older homes may be required to prevent toppling during earthquakes.

Modern public elementary and high school buildings have generally performed well during earthquakes, with the exception of the Government Hill school and West High school in Anchorage in the 1964 earthquake. However, knowledge about proper seismic design and where to locate buildings has increased dramatically since then. Older school buildings may need to be reassessed in light of modern building codes.

Mobile homes, portable classrooms, and modular buildings can slide or bounce off their foundations during earthquakes. Their supports need to be braced to resist vertical and horizontal forces. If portable classrooms are used at your local school, you should ask school officials whether they are properly braced.

Much of the damage during the 1964 Good Friday earthquake in Anchorage was due to landsliding, such as this one beneath the Government Hill Elementary School.