Texas Earthquake: A Wake-Up Call From the Nightmare of California Dreaming

Living in earthquake country is simply the reality for all Californians. Northern, southern, central; everywhere. A gentle rattle is seemingly all we are ever really bothered with and, at that, it’s merely just a slight, disruptive nuisance. That said, it’s easy to get complacent and remain as such. That is, until something severe happens. We all know that the “big one” is and has been coming for decades. In fact, it’s due any time now. So why aren’t we more concerned? Moreover, why aren’t we more aware? Other states around the US have been plagued with swarms of earthquakes in recent news and, as the quakes – as well as the headlines – begin to roll in, the reality is starting to hit closer and closer to home.

Rocking Around the Country

Take, for example, the most recent swarm of earthquakes that hit the state of Texas in a forty-eight hour period. Eleven earthquakes in two days? That’s pretty serious. And widely unheard of for the state. In fact, up until this recent swarm, the only one earthquake recorded in the specifically affected area of Texas was as long ago as 2008. What does this mean? Well, for starters, it means that California is not the only “cool kid” who gets a tendency towards seismic activity to state as its claim to fame. What it also means is that earthquakes abound all over, can happen without warning – although an early warning system is in the works – and that these tectonic doozies can wreck more than just your day if the shaking is anything above what can be considered a California “standard”. Much like the recently quake-swarmed Texas, Californians have a lot to worry about in terms of maintaining a steady home foundation in the face of mother nature rearing its ugly head.

Soggy Sorrows

One example of the risks posed to a homes foundation by the vibrations of an earthquake is that of soil liquefaction. If intense enough, the shaking generated from an earthquake is enough to take expansive soil – soil that can absorb water more easily and at a higher volume – and turn it into a veritable liquid. What happens next? The house sinks and you have a heap of trouble on your hands. Costly repairs to a quake-damaged foundation are less than ideal for homeowners, especially when preventative measures can much more easily be taken in order to keep such a catastrophe from occurring.

Defense Against Devastation

This home safety plan is twofold. First of all, a proper drainage system is absolutely necessary for the base of a house in order to keep water away from soil and, as a result, avoid soil liquefaction. Second, foundation repairs and house bolting are especially prudent to keep a house in good standing in the face of a quake. With the right plan of action, attention to detail in terms of the features of your home, and a keen sense of awareness about potential dangers will allow you to rest easily no matter where it is that you reside. Just remember: a quake could strike at any time and you don’t want to be the one caught – neither figuratively nor literally – in the chaos.