# Do any of you live in earthquake country?



## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I remember seeing a picture of someone's canning shelves with wood slats to protect the jars in an earthquake. 

We are not in area that commonly gets earthquakes, but there was a huge earthquake here in the 1700's and geologists have just decided the faults under us are more active than previously thought. So instead of a big quake every 500 years we are now overdue for one. Obviously in a big one, the canned goods are not my biggest concern as we live surrounded by 100+ foot douglas fir trees! We'd be running for our lives to the open fields! 

But every time I look at my canning shelves I think how vulnerable they are to even a small tremor. My 'on hand' shelves are under the stairs, one jar wide on 3 walls. 

What do you recommend to put across the shelves to keep the jars in? Some are tall enough for a lip, some are not. Would an elastic cord be best? Any ideas?


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I keep thinking the same thing- like maybe a pick up tail gate mesh. But I sadly have not done it.
I have taken quite a few things and stacked them in clear plastic totes, some with more than one layer with that rubber shelf stuff to seperate the glass, I also have some in old horse supplement containers with the names of what's in them put on the outside with a dry erase pen. But this is not easy access.
I suppose I could stage it with taking what I need from the totes and putting in one or two at a time in a cabinet with a protected door.
I have taken a few shelves and run a line or two of heavy test fishing line between eye screws on the front of the shelves. Sort of a fence for jars but that idea has never been tested in an eathquake of any size. I just turn the jars and slip them between the lines. I figure for those shelves pretty tightly packed with jars, they would not fall over and slide out by themselves. But I repeat- this is just a theory.

I have been through a 7 point something without loss but in every earthquake there is a direction to the shaking and it has favored me so far. The worse I've had is a few cabinets where everthing was piled against the doors that were held shut with child proof latches.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

I like the fish line idea, it's pretty strong stuff! Just ran it by DH and of course he poo pooed it! But we'll see. This is on the winter 'honey do' list.


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## Packedready (Mar 29, 2011)

I went through the Northridge 1994 quake. Most of my jars were in a cabinet with a door and I had a latch on it, nothing broke and we had $150,000 damage to our house.


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## Cajun Arkie (Jun 11, 2012)

We are in line on the New Madrid fault. I have been thinking about this as one morning this summer I was sitting here quietly drinking coffee and a good size tremor occurred. Enough to make me and the dog run for the door. I was thinking about those wooden slats myself. Don't have cabinet room but do have lots packed in boxes in the floor in a spare room but alas that requires stacking and unstacking.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I didn't think we were but apparently I was wrong.
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2013/11/35_magnitude_earthquake_report.html
I keep my canned goods in cardboard boxes on the shelves.


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## kudzuvine (Aug 11, 2011)

I too close to New Madrid. I put 1" slats across the front of my shelves. also get a lot of tornado warnings. Any shaking of the house would probably cause jars to fall/slide off. I'd just rather be safe than sorry. Hopefully, some jars will survive and it's an easy project.


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## annaraven (Mar 25, 2011)

I use earthquake straps like you would use on bookshelves. I get them at my local hardware store. It's like these: http://www.amazon.com/Quakehold-504...1&sr=8-9&keywords=earthquake+furniture+straps

I use them across the front of all my canning shelves, about halfway up. They're stretchy enough I can get the canning jars in and out but they're not going to just slide out in a quake.


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## Vosey (Dec 8, 2012)

annaraven said:


> I use earthquake straps like you would use on bookshelves. I get them at my local hardware store. It's like these: http://www.amazon.com/Quakehold-504...1&sr=8-9&keywords=earthquake+furniture+straps
> 
> I use them across the front of all my canning shelves, about halfway up. They're stretchy enough I can get the canning jars in and out but they're not going to just slide out in a quake.


Thank you, thank you! I had no idea they made such things, but of course someone has! I just ordered a box and we can see how they work on our shelves. If I wait for DH to fabricate something it may be awhile....


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## PlicketyCat (Jul 14, 2010)

I definitely live in earthquake country, and I stretch the skinny bungees across the front of my canning shelves. For the easy shelves at eye level, I also have a few with 1/4" dowels across the front, but the bungees are even easier and can be removed completely during loading & cleaning.

Some of my pantry shelves are an odd size for standard bungees, so I bought shock cord and some hooks to custom fit them. This worked out better (and cheaper!) for me since I could do the whole pantry with one spool of cord, and only needed half the hooks because I just knotted one end into the uprights and hook/unhook the other end.


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