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What to do BEFORE an earthquake hits
Preparing Your Family � Make sure each member of your family knows what to do
no matter where they are when earthquakes occur
� Establish a meeting place where you can all reunite
afterward
� Find out about earthquake plans developed by your
children's school or daycare.
Preparing Your Home
� Secure tabletop objects with safety straps or
nondrying putty
� Secure windows with safety glass or mylar
� Anchor tall furniture with nylon straps or braces.
Make sure television sets, computers and other equipment are secured so they
don't become flying objects and injure someone
� Move objects away from beds, including hanging
pictures
� Move big, heavy books, toys or other decorations to
lower shelves. Install cords across bookshelves to prevent books from falling
out
� Install latches on cupboards to prevent dishes and
food from falling out
� Know where your gas, electric and water main shutoffs
are and how to turn them off if there is a leak or electrical short
� Make sure older members of the family can shut off
utilities
� Make sure you have an adjustable wrench available for
turning off gas and water if necessary. You can also have an automatic gas
shutoff valve installed on your gas meter which will shut off the gas if the
shaking is above a certain magnitude.
� Retrofit your house by bolting it to the foundation to
reduce the risk of it shifting. Check chimneys to make sure they can withstand
the next earthquake.
� Make sure your water heater is secured with straps so
it can't fall over and start a fire
� Have a portable fire escape ladder for homes or
apartments with multiple floors
� Talk to your neighbors to find out how they could help
you, or you them after an earthquake
� Start now to gather together the necessary items for
your survival kit. If you already have a survival kit, replace any food or water
supplies that have passed their expiration dates.
Preparing Your Work Place
� Secure desktop objects, such as computers and
monitors, with Velcro safety straps. This not only prevents injury to you from
falling items, but can reduce damage to the equipment as well.
� Anchor furniture like book shelves, filing cabinets
and other items with nylon straps or braces
� Install cords across book shelves to prevent books
from falling out
� Install safety locks on cabinet doors and cupboards to
prevent items from falling out
� Move hanging pictures away from desks
� Keep a small flashlight with extra batteries in your
desk or work station to use in case electrical power goes out
� Keep a whistle in your desk or work station to use to
alert people if you become trapped or injured
� Know your employer's emergency plan and where to
evacuate after the shaking stops
� Know where first aid supplies are located in case you
or fellow employees need them
Preparing Your Car � Create a survival kit to keep in your car. This kit
can include such items as a first aid kit, water, nonperishable food, mylar
blanket, flashlight, portable radio and hygiene items
� Keep a pair of spare walking shoes in case you have to
leave your car and walk for help
� Keep your car phone in good working condition in case
you need to call for emergency assistance
What to do WHEN an earthquake hits If you are indoors: � DUCK or drop to the floor
� COVER your head with a desk or table and HOLD on to
the table securely
� Protect your body from things that could injure you
If you are outside:
Move away from buildings, power lines, chimneys, trees
and anything else that might fall on you
If you are driving: � Pull over to the side of the road and stop in a safe
area
� DO NOT stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under
trees, light posts, power lines or signs
� Stay inside your car until the shaking stops
� When you resume driving, watch for downed power lines
breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks and bumps in the road at bridge approaches
� If a power line is touching your car, do not move it.
Stay inside the car until help arrives.
If you are in a mountainous area:
Watch for falling rocks, landslides, trees and other
debris that could be loosened by quakes
PROTECT YOURSELF Practice duck, cover and hold drills at home with your
family and at work.
Falling objects and collapsing structures cause injuries
and deaths during earthquakes. Show children safe areas to duck and cover.
Practice counting how many seconds your test earthquake lasts. This will help
you keep calm when a real earthquake strikes.
Develop an earthquake plan. If an earthquake hits during the day, family members may
be separated for hours or even days. Your local chapter of the American Red
Cross can help you develop a plan at home, at work, and in your neighborhood. A
family plan should include:
A safe place where your family can reunite after the
earthquake. Transportation may be disrupted because of damaged roads. Select
alternate meeting places near work or schools.
Designation of an out-of-the-area telephone contact.
Completing local telephone calls may be difficult. It will probably be easier to
telephone someone out of the earthquake area. Select a relative or friend to act
as a clearinghouse for information about your family. All family members should
call this contact to report their condition and location. Make sure family
members carry this number with them at all times. Other friends and relatives
should know this number, too.
Discuss the plan with all family members. Discuss with
children what will happen to them if an earthquake occurs while they are at
school.
Know the safest places in your home. These should be away from heavy furniture or appliances,
wood stoves, fireplaces, and large panes of glass, pictures, or mirrors.
Know where your gas, electric, and water main shutoffs
are and how to turn each off. Now is the time to buy a special wrench that fits
your gas turnoff valve and to fasten it next to the valve. Remember, turn off
the utilities only if you suspect the lines are damaged or if you smell gas. You
must contact your supplier to turn it back on.
Know the policy of your local schools concerning release
of children after an earthquake. Arrange with neighbors to watch out for your
family and property in case you are not home.
Make plans with your family, your neighbors, and your
co-workers.
Every business should have an emergency response plan.
Store emergency supplies. After a major earthquake, medical aid, transportation,
water, electricity, and communication may be unavailable or severely restricted
for days or weeks. Be prepared to take care of yourself, your family, and your
neighbors for at least three days or longer if you live in a remote area. At
home, at work, and in your car store flashlights, batteries, an A-B-C-rated fire
extinguisher, a battery-operated radio, a first-aid kit and handbook, at least
one gallon of water per person per day, food, warm clothes, sturdy shoes,
gloves, and a fresh supply of any medications you and your family members may
need.
Make sure emergency supplies are located in a safe and
readily available place. Make sure everyone in your family knows where these
supplies are and how to use them. Take a course in first aid from your local
chapter of the American Red Cross. Include pets in your planning. Plan for their
food and water supplies for at least three days. Make arrangements with a
neighbor to care for your pet in the event you are unable to get home.
Find Out More.
Look at the first aid and survival guides in the
introductory pages of your telephone book. Go to the local library and ask the
librarian for reference materials.
Protect Your Belongings Damage to homes is most likely at the point where the
home is connected to the foundation. As the earth moves, the top part of the
house tries to move with it and starts in motion just as the ground stops. This
"whiplash" effect puts tremendous strain on the bolts holding the house onto the
foundation. It is wise to walk around your house before an earthquake and note
the cracks in the foundation due to expansion and contraction. After a quake,
make the same inspection. Any new cracks should be quite noticeable and it will
be fairly easy to determine if your house has sustained serious structural
damage. New cracks do not necessarily mean you have serious damage.
Falling objects and toppling furniture can be dangerous
and expensive to replace or repair. Move heavy items, such as pictures, mirrors
or tall dressers, away from your bed. Secure tall furniture and bookcases with
lag bolts to wall studs. Add lips to shelves to prevent costly items from
sliding off. Put latches on cabinet doors, especially at home in your kitchen
and at work or school in laboratories.
Fasten heavy or precious items to shelves or tables.
Secure file cabinets, computers, televisions and machinery that may overturn
during an earthquake. Store potentially hazardous materials such as cleaners,
fertilizers, chemicals, and petroleum products in appropriate containers and in
sturdy cabinets fastened to the wall or floor.
In your office, be sure heavy objects are fastened to
the building structure and not just to a movable wall. Ask a carpenter or an
electrician to determine whether light fixtures and modular ceiling systems are
securely fastened. Be sure your water heater is fastened to the wall studs and
that all gas heaters and appliances are connected to the gas pipe through
flexible tubing. If you use propane gas, be sure the storage tank is secured
against overturning and sliding. Secure your wood stove to wall or floor studs.
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher close at hand. Check with school and day
care officials to be sure they have taken similar precautions.
PROPANE TANKS Many residents have aboveground propane tanks. These
tanks may move, slide or topple during heavy ground shaking and are potentially
damaging unless both the tank and the pipe are properly secured. Gas leaks are
frequently the cause of earthquake-related fires. The following recommendations
can be used to reduce the post-earthquake fire hazard associated with propane
tanks.
Mount the tank on a concrete pad and bolt the four legs
to the pad. Install flexible hose connections between tank, supply line and
entrance to home. Clear area of tall or heavy objects that can fall and rupture
the tank or supply line. Keep a wrench tied on a cord near the shut-off valve
and make sure family members know how to use it. For large tanks (i.e. farm or
commercial use) seismic shut-off valves are available. For more information on
how to use these tips or for configurations other than the ones discussed above,
consult your stove or propane vendor and/or local fire department. Make sure you
have a fire extinguisher easily accessible and that all family members know how
to use it.
Children and Earthquakes Earthquakes may be traumatic events for all of us, but
they are especially frightening for children who may have to leave their homes
and all that is familiar to them. A child does not usually understand such
events and feels anxious and confused. After an earthquake, a child's fears are
those of reoccurrence, injury, death, or of being alone, separated from the rest
of the family. Aftershocks can increase these fears.
Parents sometimes ignore the emotional needs of a child
once assured of their physical safety. A child's persistent fears may generate
disruptive behavior, surprising and frustrating a parent who is trying to
continue with the daily family routine. How a parent can help:
Keep the family together. This provides immediate
reassurance to a child; fears of being abandoned and unprotected are alleviated.
Reassure children by words as well as actions. "We are
all together and nothing has happened to us," or "You do not have to worry; we
will look after you." Encourage the child to talk. It can be helpful to include
other family members, neighbors and their children in a talk about reactions to
the disaster.
Include the child in family activities. There will be
important things to do after an earthquake: checking on the damage; cleaning up
broken glass and fallen furniture. Whenever possible, a child should be included
in these activities.
At bedtime, a child may have difficulty falling asleep.
The child may wake up during the night or have nightmares for weeks or months
after the earthquake. These situations may be dealt with by allowing the child
to move into a room with another child or sleep in the parents' room, or by the
parents simply spending extra time in the child's room giving reassurance.
HOW TO REDUCE EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE Determine the Safety of Your Home and School
Most people in the San Juans are safe at home if they
live in a well-braced wood frame building of one or two stories. These buildings
are unlikely to collapse completely during earthquakes. Common damage in these
structures is light cracking of interior walls and the cracking of brick
chimneys in older homes. Have your chimney inspected by a qualified professional
before using the fireplace after the earthquake.
Some wood frame buildings can be hazardous, especially
those built before 1940. Older wooden structures can fail at or near ground
level if not adequately bolted to the foundation, or if the pier-and-post
foundation or short cripple walls (often found between the foundation and the
first floor) are not adequately braced. Your local community planning or
building inspection office has information on adding foundation bolts and
bracing cripple walls. Correcting these problems will drastically reduce
earthquake risk in older homes.
Special considerations are needed for mobile homes and
modular buildings not attached to permanent foundations. These structures can
slide off their foundations if not properly secured to resist horizontal motion.
Repair and strengthen your home before an earthquake
hits. Earthquakes will happen. The effects need not be disastrous. NOW is the
time to strengthen your home correctly.
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