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California Earthquake Early-Warning System May Get New Funding

This is just some of the devastation caused by the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

Late last month, State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) introduced legislation to fund a statewide earthquake early-warning system using technology that already exists. During a press conference at Caltech in Pasadena on January 28th, it was discussed that the prototype called the California Integrated Seismic Network needs more money in order for it to go public, and the estimated cost is $80 million. Continue Reading →

Do You Remember the Northridge Earthquake in 1994?

Would you want to live here? This is after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Yes, it’s been 19 years since an earthquake caused some serious devastation to Los Angeles. It almost seems like remembering a movie starting Bruce Willis where he ends up saving the world. But it really happened. So why are we talking about it? Because it’s important to remember earthquake safety all the time. The most dangerous thing about earthquakes, besides their ability for destruction, is that even scientists cannot predict them with any certainty.

Nineteen years ago last Thursday, the San Fernando Valley in Southern California was violently shaken by what is now known as the Northridge earthquake. Lives were lost, and there was widespread catastrophic damage estimated at $15 billion in the earthquake that measured 6.7 on the Richter scale. Freeway overpasses were cut in half. Almost 60 people were killed, and over 20,000 were made homeless by the quake. Is that serious enough for a reminder? Continue Reading →

Is Your Landlord Liable for Mold in Your Rental Property?

Read your lease carefully for mold liability.

Read your lease carefully for mold liability.

Mold is quite an insidious tenant in any property—rented or owned, commercial or residential, nobody wants mold around. And it’s really not surprising, as it can cause significant health problems, including rashes, chronic fatigue, nausea, memory loss and reduced brain functions, hemorrhaging, asthma—and that’s just to name a few.

Although the naturally humid climates of California, Texas and across the Southern United States usually experience more cases of mold than in other areas, mold can grow just about anywhere water is present. And all those health problems we mentioned? There is considerable debate within the scientific and medical communities about mold, particularly about which molds in what situations actually cause serious health risks to people. That’s because many molds are perfectly harmless to humans, and it takes an expert to know which mold is just annoying and which is dangerous. Continue Reading →

Checklist for January Home Improvements

Some home improvements are easy to do yourself, but for the big jobs, hire a professional.

As a year ends and a new one begins, many of us make resolutions about being more active, eating a better diet, weeding through an old wardrobe or cleaning out cupboards for donations to goodwill. But what about your house? It can’t make these kind of plans to spruce itself up or keep itself in shape to live a long, healthy life the way you can.

So why not give it a helping hand? It’s not just helping your house, it’s helping you in the long run. Regular home maintenance is good for a property, extending its “economic age”, a term meaning the number of years a house is expected to survive. It also ensures safety, prevents those little maintenance problems turning into costly repair projects and can possibly even reduce energy consumption. And, especially in this crazy real estate economy, you want to make sure your home is well maintained just in case you want to sell—it seriously helps the resale value. Continue Reading →

Don’t Let Your Christmas Tree Ruin Your Holiday With a Fire!

We know that many of you already put up your Christmas trees, and hopefully you’ve been enjoying their wonderful pine scent, festive looks and twinkling lights. Some people wait until closer to Christmas to choose the tree and decorate it.

Either way, you’ll probably hang treasured ornaments on it, and place your carefully chosen presents underneath it—presents you’ve probably spent a pretty penny on. Continue Reading →

Beware Inland Empire Scam Artists After Disaster Strikes

We might think that just because we’re in beautiful Southern California, where usually not much happens in the way of disasters, we’re safe from people who prey on the misfortunes of others. Sadly, you’ll be wrong.  Although we don’t have hurricanes, flooding rivers, tornadoes or blizzards, we have wildfires, mudslides and earthquakes, and criminals that are ready to make money off the back of someone losing their home or business.

Whenever a disaster happens, whether its as devastating as losing your entire company to a fire or less dire like a leak in your home’s roof, it is a troubling time for a homeowner or business owner. There are so many details to worry about, on top of the event itself—and this is exactly the time when unscrupulous fly-by-night contractors and other scam artists will move in to capitalize on their misfortune. Continue Reading →

Use National Fire Prevention Week to Protect Your Family

Do you know who to call if this happens?

At PDR Inland Empire, we take house fires very seriously. Contrary to how it may seem, we don’t want a lot of fires starting all over our area just because we’ll get more business. We truly care about our customers and their families, and want to make sure that they never have to call us when their house is a pile of ashes. But in case of a fire in your home, we also want to promote the best practices if and when that happens. Continue Reading →

Disaster Planning on a National Scale and in California

 

Hurricane Isaac makes landfall.

Whether or not you agree with the claims about global warming, you can’t deny a few facts about the weather from the past few years. And finally, groups like the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) are trying to be proactive.

Let’s have a recap on extreme weather events across the country: Continue Reading →

Happy Fourth of July in the Inland Empire!

Happy Fourth of July!

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and although it’s on a Wednesday this year, we anticipate much celebration throughout the Inland Empire. And why not? It’s the anniversary of our country’s official birth!

Of course, we’re going to give you some advice and a few warnings in this post, but you must expect that by now! Just because we help people by restoring their homes after fires doesn’t mean we want people to accidentally burn their house down with fireworks or the grill after an Independence Day barbecue! Continue Reading →

Is Mold Growing in Your Child’s School?

When mold grows in school buildings and portable classrooms, it can be bad new for some staff and students, particularly those with allergies or respiratory problems. It may actually cause some health problems, which can not only be bad for the sufferers, but create legal problems for the school administration.

Why Would Mold Be Growing in My Child’s School? Continue Reading →