Advice for someone living in a region with earthquakes? (1 Viewer)

[mort-aux-rois]

I live in the Seattle area and our last big quake was 7.2. None of my figures fell over or suffered any damage.

Perfect! Thanks katana!

 

[ucla1967]

Ask mike T. Didn’t he have earthquake/soldier issues???

Yes, Zach, I certainly did. A couple years ago, there was an earthquake on the Puente Hills Fault which is just a few miles from my house. The result was that about half of the 5,000 or so figures I had on display were knocked over. Some suffered major damage when they fell from higher shelves in the display curios to the bottom of the curios or off the diorama tables onto the hardwood floor. I now use tacky wax, not museum putty, to secure them to the glass curio shelves. My curios are also secured to the studs in the walls with earthquake straps to hopefully keep the curios from falling over.

Mike

 

[spartan71]

I was in California, but not in San Francisco. Can you say what happened to your figures during the 7.1? I'd love to know. Did they all go sailing off the shelf? Did they get knocked over? From what I understand, the San Andreas is a strike-slip/horizontal fault line, and isn't prone to the massively destructive 8's that you see along subduction faultlines like in Chile or Japan. The kinds of motion that the earth makes during the quake are different as well. I'd love to hear what happened to your collection during the 7.1.

I was not in this hobby in 1989, that earthquake was called the Loma Prieta earthquake, that was a devastating earthquake. Lines to get gas, food, even any atm that had power. Lives were lost, freeway that collapsed into the lower level.... I just checked the internet, I guess it was a 6.9. So again if freeways were collapsing, getting damaged... I think check your house, if it will withstand an earthquake.
My place then had some cracks showing after the quake... I live 90 miles down from SF.

 

[spartan71]

I live in the Seattle area and our last big quake was 7.2. None of my figures fell over or suffered any damage. I live in a wood frame house which flexes under stress and absorbs the worst shocks. My figures are displayed on open wood shelves. My Japanese Cloisonne collection was also undamaged and it is far more fragile than the figures.

Museum Wax can be used to stick the base of a figure to the shelf and it will not harm the base or the shelf. A raised edge at the front of a shelf will keep figures from walking off a shelf from vibration during a quake. A quake can have either a vertical or a rolling motion. Deep quakes come from subduction zone plate slippage and usually impart vertical motion. Shallow quakes are usually from local fault slippage and can last longer and cause more damage due to the rolling motion imparted. No matter where you live in the USA you are subject to some form of natural disasters i.e. Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tornados, Wildfires or Floods. I prefer quakes as they are fewer and further between IMO.

7.2 that is a big one, larger than the 6.8 in the Tacoma region... And have to agree with you, that mother nature always has some thing stored in any part of the country

 

[theBaron]

I was not in this hobby in 1989, that earthquake was called the Loma Prieta earthquake, that was a devastating earthquake. Lines to get gas, food, even any atm that had power. Lives were lost, freeway that collapsed into the lower level.... I just checked the internet, I guess it was a 6.9. So again if freeways were collapsing, getting damaged... I think check your house, if it will withstand an earthquake.
My place then had some cracks showing after the quake... I live 90 miles down from SF.

Yeah, that was the one that happened during the World Series, wasn't it?

 

[BLReed]

I was not in this hobby in 1989, that earthquake was called the Loma Prieta earthquake, that was a devastating earthquake. Lines to get gas, food, even any atm that had power. Lives were lost, freeway that collapsed into the lower level.... I just checked the internet, I guess it was a 6.9. So again if freeways were collapsing, getting damaged... I think check your house, if it will withstand an earthquake.
My place then had some cracks showing after the quake... I live 90 miles down from SF.

I had just exited the Nimitz about a mile South of where the freeway collapsed. Walked in the door
and it hit. No damage, but electricity was out for a day. Neighbors with portable radios came out,
and we all had a neighborhood street barbecue.

 

[spartan71]

Yeah, that was the one that happened during the World Series, wasn't it?

Yep, I actually just got finished grocery shopping. And was heading home to watch the World series, when I saw people running out from the grocery store.. When I got home decided to do the same thing that my neighbors were doing, have a barbecue. Next morning saw the devastation from the newspaper....

 

[theBaron]

Yep, I actually just got finished grocery shopping. And was heading home to watch the World series, when I saw people running out from the grocery store.. When I got home decided to do the same thing that my neighbors were doing, have a barbecue. Next morning saw the devastation from the newspaper....

I was at a local bar with friends, watching the game. It doesn't compare with the experience of people in San Francisco, of course. But it just left us stunned to see it start, and then see the feed go dark.

 

[Kollos]

I had just exited the Nimitz about a mile South of where the freeway collapsed. Walked in the door
and it hit. No damage, but electricity was out for a day. Neighbors with portable radios came out,
and we all had a neighborhood street barbecue.

That's funny, I had just exited the Nimitz as well coming from work around Hayward and saw all the light posts swaying back and forth. It's hard to tell how strong an earthquake is when driving, I did notice my car swerving back and forth right before I left the freeway, thought my front tire blew. Had no idea until I got home and saw the news later, did not have any toy soldiers on the shelf at that time luckily, only plastic models.

 

[tryfon]

Does anyone here live in a region prone to earthquakes? I have my figures lined up along my desk, and I'm worried that the next earthquake will send them all flying. Does anyone have any advice about the easiest/best way to secure them? I tried double-sided tape, but it didn't work very well. Thanks

Blu tak

 

[theBaron]

Blu tak

See my post above, on the first page