In the 6.7 Northridge, CA, earthquake in 1994, 55 percent of quake-related injuries were due, not to collapsing buildings, but because of falling and breaking objects -- televisions, pictures, mirrors and heavy light fixtures.

While strengthening the structure of your home with seismic improvements is an important step to take to prepare your home for the Big One, preventing your possessions from becoming deadly projectiles is just as important.

The United States Geological Survey's "Putting Down Roots In Earthquake Country" says there's a 62 percent probability that a quake, magnitude 6.7 or greater, will hit the San Francisco Bay Area by 2032.

"When The Big One Strikes Again" a study released this week at the kick off of the three-day 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference in San Francisco to recall the devastation of the 1906 quake and discuss measures necessary before the next Big One.

The study says from 40,000 to 62,000 casualties could result from such a trembler and more than half of those could be caused by seismic energy turning household goods into missiles.

Both "Putting Down Roots" and the Association of Bay Area Governments' "Home Quake Safety Toolkit" suggest -- along with a visit to a hardware store to secure earthquake-safety straps, fasteners and the like -- taking these steps to make living spaces inside your home safer during a quake:

Published: April 21, 2006

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A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site, DeadlineNews.Com, offering real estate, personal finance and consumer journalism, and a backshop, the Deadline Newsroom.