Oregonians Eager to Protect Homes from Quakes

The Japanese earthquake has homeowners in western Oregon worried, and contractors who do seismic retrofits are hearing about it.

One Portland contractor tells The Oregonian newspaper he’s gotten so many calls he’s increased his staff and is thinking about franchising his operation.

A state survey in 2009 showed about 20 percent of Oregonians have earthquake insurance, which requires proof of retrofits for older homes. That’s one among many indications of how unprepared Oregon residents are for a big earthquake that geologists say is inevitable.

One contractor says Oregon is behind neighboring states California and Washington in regulating and encouraging retrofits for houses built decades ago.