Earthquakes are inevitable, but damage from them is not! Most earthquake damages and losses can be reduced by steps you take before, during, and after.
There are seven steps that can help you prepare your home, school, and workplace for our next earthquake:
Before:
(1) Identify potential hazards in your home and begin to fix them. You should secure anything heavy enough to hurt you if it falls on you. Move furniture such as bookcases away from beds, sofas, or other places where people sit or sleep. Safety straps, fasteners, and adhesives such as earthquake putty are sold at most hardware stores and home centers. Strap top-heavy furniture and appliances to walls, add latches to kitchen cabinets, and secure TVs and other heavy objects that can topple and cause serious injuries.
(2) Create a disaster-preparedness plan. Get together with everyone in your household to plan what each person will do before, during, and after an earthquake. By planning now, you will be ready to handle the aftermath; fires, lack of utilities and basic services, and aftershocks. Have earthquake “drills” to practice your plan.
(3) Prepare a disaster supplies kit. Keep this where you spend most of your time. Consider keeping a kit in your home, your car, and at work. Click here to download a checklist for your kit.
(4) Identify your building’s potential weaknesses and begin to fix them. Is your house bolted to the foundation? Consider basic retrofitting, like reinforcing chimneys. Renters should ask their landlords about securing furniture to walls and give some thought to insurance.
During:
(5) Protect yourself during earthquake shaking: DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON! Drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk/table, and hold onto it firmly. If you are not near a desk/table, drop to the floor against the interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Stay away from windows, hanging objects, anything that might fall and hurt you. Stay inside if you are inside, and stay outside if you are outside. If you are in your car, pull over, and remain inside the vehicle.
After:
(6) Check for injuries and damage. Take your disaster supplies kit, and get to a safe location. If you need help, use a whistle or knock on something solid to alert emergency personnel. Check for damage from fire, gas leaks, electrical wiring, lights and appliances, and others. Use extreme caution when handling all of these.
(7) When safe, continue to follow your disaster preparedness plan. Be aware that aftershocks will occur several weeks after a big earthquake, so you must continue to follow the plan you prepared. Recovery can take several weeks or months.
The information here is available in partnership between the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles and the Earthquake Country Alliance. The American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles is a member of the Southern California Earthquake Country Alliance.
Tags: CDE, Community Disaster Education, disaster, earthquake, preparedness
