Earthquakes: Preparedness Actions

Prepare yourself, your family, and your animals for earthquakes by following the guidelines listed below.

• Prepare a family earthquake plan and conduct family earthquake drills, including drop, cover, and hold. Take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture (such as a heavy desk, table, or bed) and hold onto one of the legs. Include animals in these exercises.
• Discuss earthquakes and other possible disasters so that younger members of your family understand how to take action without fear. Instructional videos are available for this preparation activity.
• Know where the safest places are at home, work, or school.
• Teach responsible members of your family how to turn off gas, electricity, and water at main switches and valves. Check with your local utility offices for instructions.

Earthquakes: Mitigation Measures

• Support local safe land use and building codes that regulate land use along fault lines. Modern engineering can produce structures that resist earthquake damage; existing buildings can be retrofitted to better withstand tremors. Often there are tax advantages for these types of improvements.
• Check your local emergency manager for potential earthquake and fire risks.
• Purchase earthquake insurance for your home and its contents. Renters can also purchase earthquake insurance for their belongings.
• Have an expert investigate and repair any deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations and ensure the house is firmly anchored to its foundation.
• Bolt down or reinforce water heaters and other gas appliances.
• Use flexible gas line and appliance connections wherever possible. Know where to turn off the gas supplies to your house or barn.
• Place large and heavy objects on lower shelves and securely fasten shelves taller than 5 feet to walls. Brace anchor all tall or top-heavy objects.
• Do not place dog runs or other animal enclosures underneath things that might fall on them during an earthquake, such as a chimney or a heavy retaining wall.
• Include a pair of bolt cutters in your disaster kit. Gates can sometimes become damaged and unable to be opened.
• Affix tabletop equipment (such as computers or fish tanks) with industrial-strength Velcro.
• Anchor overhead lighting fixtures solidly in place.

Earthquakes: Response Actions

Earthquakes usually occur without warning. If an earthquake is occurring in your area:

• You will feel a trembling in the ground or floor,
• You may notice hanging lights or planters starting to sway,
• You may even feel slightly dizzy, and
• Many animals will become very nervous and apprehensive-they can bite, kick, or scratch.

The actual movement of the ground is seldom the direct cause of death or injury to humans and animals. The following commonly cause earthquake-related casualties:

• Partial or total building collapse, including toppling chimneys or walls, falling ceiling plaster, light fixtures, and pictures;
• Flying glass from broken windows and skylights (this danger may be greater from windows in high-rise structures);
• Overturned bookcases, fixtures, and other large furniture and appliances falling on people and animals;
• Fires resulting from broken chimneys and broken gas lines;
• Electrocution from fallen power lines; and
• Exertion and fear leading to heart failure.

To reduce injury and death to people and animals, special precautions should be taken and include the following:

• Above all, remain calm. Try to reassure others. Think through the consequences of any action you take.
• If you are indoors, stay indoors, and remember the safety routine to drop, cover, and hold.
• Stay away from objects that can shatter (such as windows, mirrors, or skylights) and chimneys.
• If you are in a high-rise building, a crowded store, or a mall, do not run for exits. Stairways may be broken or jammed with people. Power for elevators may fail so do not use them. Stay away from store display windows that may break. If you must leave the building, choose your exit as carefully as possible.
• If you are outside, get away from buildings, walls, utility poles, downed wires, and all other objects that could fall.
• If you are in a car, stop as quickly as safety permits but stay in the vehicle until the shaking stops. Avoid bridges, underpasses, and tall buildings.
• Check for injuries and attend to them. Seek medical help if necessary for humans and animals. Check for fires or other hazards.
• Remember that animals can be frightened by an earthquake, too. Be alert to any aggressive behavior displayed by an animal. An animal may bite out of fear and stress.

Earthquakes: Recovery Tips

Earthquakes can cause damage to buildings, utility lines, bridges, or dams. Water supplies can become contaminated by seepage around broken water mains. Damage to roadways and to other means of transportation may create food and other resource shortages for people and animals if transportation is interrupted.

Use the following guidelines to aid in safe recovery from earthquakes.

• If you are unsure of a building's safety, do not enter until it has been inspected by a qualified person. Aftershocks may cause additional damage to buildings.
• Check to make sure that fences used to confine animals are intact. If animals have escaped, they will often return to their regular feeding site at mealtime and may be recaptured.
• Keep animals safely confined until debris is removed.
• Check utilities. If you smell gas, open windows and shut off the main gas valve. Shut off electrical power if there is damage to your house wiring. Leave the building and report damage to the appropriate utility companies. Do not use matches, lighters, or open-flame appliances until you are sure there are no gas leaks. Do not operate electrical switches on appliances if gas leaks are suspected; e.g., if lights are on, leave them on. If they are off, leave them off.
• Do not eat or drink from open containers near shattered glass and do not offer water from such containers to animals. Remove any contaminated sources of food or water so that animals cannot get to them. If there is a boil-water order in effect, do not drink or give animals tap water until the officials announce that it is safe to do so. Let water from pipes run several minutes once the boil-water order is lifted.
• Open closet and cupboard doors carefully, watching for falling objects.
• Clean spilled medicines and potentially harmful materials, wearing gloves to protect yourself.
• Check to be sure that sewage lines are intact before flushing toilets. On farms, check to see that the waste-handling facilities have not been disrupted and manure is not leaking into the environment or ground water.
• Be prepared for additional aftershocks. While the aftershocks are usually smaller than the main shock, some may be large enough to cause additional damage.
• Do not use your telephone except for emergency calls. Listen to your radio for damage reports and information.
• Do not go sightseeing. Stay away from beach and waterfront areas where seismic sea waves (tsunamis) may strike.
• When it comes time to repair your house and farm buildings, ensure that the repairs will increase the structure's ability to withstand future quakes.