Storing Emergency Supplies
Developing A Family Plan
Duck, Cover & Hold!
After An Earthquake
Where Can I Get Disaster Training?
What About Earthquake Insurance?
Knowing what to do when the ground starts to shake can save your life. Knowing what to do after it stops can save the lives of others, reduce further injury, and minimize the risk of additional property damage.
Preparing for an earthquake takes two forms -- physical preparation (storing equipment and supplies) and mental preparation (knowing what to do). Listed below are a few suggestions on how best to utilize the resources at hand.
Storing Emergency Supplies
This is easier than you might think! The average household, with the addition of perhaps a few special materials, has the food and supplies on hand for a family to survive comfortably for up to 72 hours. This is how long state and local officials advise residents that outside help may take to become available after a large, damaging earthquake. California's recent earthquake disasters have illustrated that immediately following an earthquake local fire, paramedic and police services will not be available to help individuals. Their attention will be focused on large emergencies, where they can do the greatest good for the greatest number of victims. So, be prepared to administer first aid or put out a small fire if your house or neighborhood becomes isolated.
Water, food, first aid supplies and fire protection will be your primary needs. As the list below suggests, you may already have many of these items on hand. If space in your house permits, you may wish to store extra amounts of these supplies. But if you do, remember to replenish them on a regular schedule to keep items fresh or functional.
- Water
The water heater (30 to 40 gallons) for a family of four should contain enough water to last four days (make sure it is braced to prevent it from falling over). The toilet tank (not the bowl!) can provide up to 7 gallons of water. Ice cubes in the freezer and liquid from canned food can also be used. We recommend keeping purification tablets on hand rather than trying to store large amounts water.
- Food
Most houses have ample food on hand to last several days. Use food in your refrigerator (and then freezer) first. If there is no power, frozen food will keep three days in an unopened freezer.
- First Aid
Most homes have the items necessary to handle routine accidents. A first-aid kit and a book on first aid should be kept in a central location. Remember: A First Aid and Survival Guide is in Section B of your phone book. We recommend taking a first-aid and CPR course from the Red Cross.
- Fire Extinguishers
Have one or more fire extinguishers in the house, and see that all responsible members of the household know how to use them! Have your fire extinguisher serviced annually to be sure that it is working properly.
Developing A Family Plan
Develop a plan for your family to use during an earthquake. Discuss it fully with the members of your household and practice the plan occasionally. Draw a floor diagram of your house and locate the following:
- Safest places in the house
- Most dangerous places
- Exits and alternative exits
- Utility shutoff valves
- Flashlights and batteries
- First-aid kit
- Fire extinguishers
- Food and water supplies
- Batteries and transistor radio
Be aware of those in your household and neighborhood who have special needs or who may require care and sheltering after an earthquake. Many people around you may have important skills and resources to help.
- Make special provisions for elderly or disabled family members.
- If you have to evacuate your home, leave a note indicating where you can be found..
- Know the emergency plans for your children's school or day-care.
- Identify resources in your neighborhood. Find someone in your neighborhood to watch out for your house. Know the skills of your neighbors (doctor, engineer, etc.).
- Identify a person outside the immediate area to coordinate family contact. While local phone lines may be down, long-distance lines will function sooner.
- Make special provisions for pets. Pets are not usually allowed in public shelters and may need to be confined in a safe room in your house.
Duck, Cover and Hold!
Know how to safely ride out an earthquake. Practice the simple protective action called "Duck, Cover and Hold" -- it can save lives and prevent injuries during an earthquake. First, imagine you're in a real earthquake. Then, carefully find the nearest cover that will protect you from falling objects, such as a heavy table or other piece of furniture, and DUCK down beneath it. Make your body as small as possible. COVER your head with one hand and hold on to the leg of the furniture with the other hand. (This will keep the furniture from bouncing away from you while the building is shaking.) HOLD that position for about one minute. (Of course, in a real earthquake, stay covered until the ground stops shaking and it's safe to move.)
After An Earthquake
Don't become part of the problem after a big earthquake. If you do not need to travel, stay off the streets and leave them clear for emergency vehicles. Use common sense and think before you act. Here are a few guidelines:
- Do NOT call 9-1-1 except to report an emergency!
- Remain calm and check on those around you, especially those who are mobility- or hearing-impaired.
- If you smell gas in your home or building, turn off the gas at the meter.
- Aftershocks may occur, be prepared. If they do, remember to duck, cover and hold beneath the nearest desk or table, or get into a doorway and stay there until the shaking stops.
- Look around your home or workplace and locate the emergency supplies you'll need to be safe and comfortable if your location becomes isolated.
- Find your pets and confine them so they won't run away, and give them food and water.
- Check your chimneys for cracks. If chimneys have been damaged, they could fall during a later earthquake. Stay clear of them.
Where Can I Get Disaster Training?
A growing number of California city and county agencies now provide FREE courses on home and family preparedness, neighborhood disaster response training, light search and rescue, volunteer emergency service, first aid, CPR, and other valuable survival skills. To find out about disaster training opportunities in your community, call your County Office of Emergency Services or local Fire Department. Your local chapter of the American Red Cross is another valuable source of emergency training. To contact these and other disaster services agencies, look under "Disaster Services" your phone book.
What about Earthquake Insurance?
The best kind of "earthquake insurance" is understanding your home's potential for earthquake damage -- and then doing something about it to minimize the risk for you and your family. If you live in an older house, chances are the codes that applied when your home was built did not require adequate resistance against earthquake shaking. In this case, strengthening your home to control damage is wise consideration.
However, even modern houses have suffered costly damage from shaking in California's recent earthquakes. The lesson here is that, no matter when your house was built, protecting your investment through insurance coverage is also a very good idea.
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