An earthquake is the sudden, rapid shaking of the earth, caused by the breaking and shifting of subterranean rock. While earthquakes are sometimes believed to be a West Coast phenomenon, there are actually 45 states and territories throughout the United States that are at moderate to high risk for earthquakes.
Since it is impossible to predict when an earthquake will occur, it is important that you and your family are prepared ahead of time.
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Step
1: Get A Kit
Get an Emergency
Supply Kit, which includes items like
non-perishable food, water, a
battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra
flashlights and batteries. You may want to
prepare a portable kit and keep it in your
car. This kit should include:
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Copies of
prescription medications and medical
supplies;
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Bedding
and clothing, including sleeping bags
and pillows;
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Bottled
water, a battery-operated radio and
extra batteries, a first aid kit, a
flashlight;
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Copies of
important documents: driver’s license,
Social Security card, proof of
residence, insurance policies, wills,
deeds, birth and marriage certificates,
tax records, etc.
Step 2:
Make a Plan
Prepare
your family
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Make
a Family
Emergency Plan. Your family may
not be together when disaster
strikes, so it is important to know
how you will contact one another,
how you will get back together and
what you will do in case of an
emergency.
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Plan
places where your family will meet,
both within and outside of your
immediate neighborhood.
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It
may be easier to make a
long-distance phone call than to
call across town, so an out-of-town
contact may be in a better position
to communicate among separated
family members.
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You
may also want to inquire about
emergency plans at places where your
family spends time: work, daycare
and school. If no plans exist,
consider volunteering to help create
one.
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Be
sure to consider the specific needs
of your family members
Notify
caregivers and babysitters about
your plan.
Store
breakable items such as bottled
foods, glass, and china in low,
closed cabinets with latches.
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Hang
heavy items such as pictures and
mirrors away from beds, couches, and
anywhere people sit.
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Brace
overhead light fixtures.
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Repair
defective electrical wiring and
leaky gas connections. These are
potential fire risks.
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Secure
a water heater by strapping it to
the wall studs and bolting it to the
floor.
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Repair
any deep cracks in ceilings or
foundations. Get expert advice if
there are signs of structural
defects.
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Store
weed killers, pesticides, and
flammable products securely in
closed cabinets with latches and on
bottom shelves.
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Identify
Safe Places indoors and outdoors
like under sturdy furniture or
against an inside wall away from
where glass could shatter around
windows, mirrors, pictures or where
heavy bookcases or other heavy
furniture could fall over.
Carefully
assess how your company functions,
both internally and externally, to determine
which staff, materials, procedures and
equipment are absolutely necessary to keep
the business operating.
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Identify operations
critical to survival and recovery.
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Plan what you
will do if your building, plant or store is
not accessible.
Consider
if you can run the business from a
different location or from your home.
Develop
relationships with other companies to
use their facilities in case a disaster
makes your location unusable.
Learn about the
emergency plans that have been established in
your area by local government. In any emergency,
always listen to the instructions given by local
emergency management officials.
