The 1971 Sylmar, California earthquake was mostly a vertical jolt.
Rocks in the front yard, two cars, and my upright piano went airborne!
The piano came down on the wedding cake that had been on top, and
wedged itself in the 5-foot-wide entry way at a 45-degree angle.
Cosmetic damage only, and of course, tuning.

My Weber Duo-Art grand did better in the 1994 Northridge quake,
centered about seven miles away.  It rolled about eight inches back and
forth in the largely horizontal movements.  No damage.  It was about a
foot away from a wall, or it would have been a different story.  Thick
carpet limited its travel.

Duo-Art rolls were everywhere.  The shelves they were stored on were
oriented in exactly the wrong direction.  No damage to the rolls, but
you should see the boxes!

Keep grands away from walls, free to roll.  Anchor uprights to the
wall, if possible.  They could KILL.  We were very lucky.  Both times
we were in bed.

(Wow, I just realized that quake was six years ago today, Jan. 17, 1994.
Both days were a Monday holiday.)

John Spradley
Sylmar CA

 [ A machinist I worked with was drinking coffee in his kitchen in
 [ Sylmar when the 1971 earthquake struck.  He clutched the door jamb
 [ and watched a console piano batter its way through a thin interior
 [ wall of his little home.  The house moved completely off its
 [ cement slab foundation but it did not collapse.  He and his wife
 [ climbed into his camper truck and drove away, abandoning the house
 [ and property to the lending bank.  -- Robbie