I'm a Wellingtonian, and DON'T have 9L of water or pretty much anything else sorted out for an event like The Big Shake in Christchurch. Fail on my behalf. Time I made sure those hardcover textbooks don't rain down on me or my loved ones from 2 m above the computer desk, and do something about the 100 L aquarium as well!

Here's the link to everything you need to be prepared, and a template for an emergency plan for your household / family

http://www.getthru.govt.nz/web/GetThru. ... endocument

yerp, was tinking and talking the same thing today with the missus.

Knowing myself well, the common-sense to prepare will turn into ignorant bliss soon enough

We were talking about this yesterday morning, and how we wished we had done it before. DO IT. If we had it would've helped TONS.

I gots my bible and my sammich board all ready for some end 'o the world prophesisin

(Also a supply of a few days of water, some light weight and long lasting foods, medicine and stuff)

Good on you goldfish.
I have a squillion litres of water (courtesy the previous owners of my house ) but no camping gas or bbq which means cooking fail.

My bookshelf would also make a helluva bang if it fell over.
Any idea what the brackets are called to hold it down? I'm guessing the friendly Mitre 10 man will sort me out...

And I should probably do somefink with the header tank....

Quake-safe your home.
http://www.eqc.govt.nz/quakesafeyourhome.aspx

Just cheap ole small angle brackets will do the job. one screw through the top of bookcase and one into Solid (timber or masonry etc). One or 2 brackets per bookcase is plenty.

Header tank can be fixed using "Brace strap".

Either get a vertical piece of timber fixed to trusses, to prop it up then strap, or fix down onto ceiling rafters. Same for Hot Water Cylinder.

I'll think of something. Can be my project for next week.

I was looking for an excuse to buy nails today...

Took me less than 5min to rummage around and start our Emergency Box. Have heaps of things - now they are one place (in the hallway cupboard). Even have spare old hearing aides for my little sis!! Just need to get some big rubbish bags and large containers of water and we're pretty much sorted.

Like it or not, my little family will be sitting down tomorrow night to come up with our emergency plan Sis can't hear the radio and if the cellphone networks go down we're a bit f*cked. The thought of not knowing she's ok gives me the screaming heeby geebies

Now I have the guilts for not doing this sooner

jo wrote:I'll think of something. Can be my project for next week.

I was looking for an excuse to buy nails today...

Screws are better than nails usually

Wedge and screw a piece of timber tightly between tank and strut. Strap around tank and strut. It'll be as good as anything, until the ceiling caves in.

Oh good, I bought screws.

until the ceiling caves in

You can only be so prepared...
Have tent, will travel.

One thing to think about is grabbing an old-skool (landline) phone that doesn't need electricerty to work (though I don't know where from - garage sales, 2nd hand stores . . . ?) If cell coverage is down, and power is out (both likely in early stages of an emergency) then a plain jane phone may be useful / a neccessity
mfw or slowmtb - you can borrow our spare one.

Had the plain jane phone in the garage, so brought that inside and used it to make sure the kids/family were OK. Cell network (XT) stayed up, but wanted to preserve cellphone battery life as much as possible. Also managed to find a torch where I was expecting it to be which was a big plus.

That said, I will be more than happy if each year from now until kingdom come I have to throw out the old water and replace all the food/batteries unused!

The old analogue plug in phone won't work with me, as last year I went naked (naked DSL that is) My phone plugs into the modem that needs power.