Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake drill is Thursday – register and you could win a home seismic retrofit

The “Great Washington ShakeOut” earthquake drill is this Thursday, Oct. 17, and a Ballard company is offering a home seismic retrofit package worth $10,000 as a prize for registering for the event. The ShakeOut will happen on Thursday at 10:17 a.m., during which businesses and schools around the state will “drop, cover, and hold on” for an earthquake drill. Among the participants will be West Woodland Elementary in east Ballard.

According to Sound Seismic, individuals and families in Ballard who register for the ShakeOut may be eligible to win the home retrofit package from Simpson Strong-Tie, Atlas Construction Specialties, and Sound Seismic. The company says that a house that has been retrofitted is able to better resist earthquake forces and has a lower risk of being damaged. The retrofitting will include the installation of metal connectors, fasteners (nails and screws) and wood shear walls to connect and strengthen the structural frame of the home. “The forces of an earthquake can weaken the frame of a home and cause it to slide or rotate off its foundation,” Sound Seismic tells us. “A home is more likely to withstand an earthquake and stay intact when all parts of the house – roof, walls, floors and foundation – are attached together with metal connectors.”

To register for the ShakeOut, click here. Or, to learn more about home earthquake preparedness, click here.

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