How to Prepare for a Major Earthquake
Unfortunately, there isn’t a forecast that will tell us exactly when the next earthquake will be and how hard it will rattle our community. If you live near a fault line, you should always be prepared for the day a major earthquake hits. Otherwise, you might find yourself in serious trouble.
There are two main components to preparing for a major earthquake: a plan and a survival kit.
Planning for a Major Earthquake
Start developing an emergency plan with your community. If an earthquake hits, you’re all going to be affected. Talking to everyone about what they need or what they can offer can save lives in the event of a crisis.
- Create a community Facebook group so everyone can get to know each other.Discuss your professions and special skills that could be of use in an emergency.
- Learn how many family members each household has and if they have any family members with special needs.
- Share contact information.
- Let your community know if/when you will be going out of town and how you can be reached if there is an emergency.
- Share emergency preparedness tips and tricks.
Create an emergency plan within your family unit and make sure everyone understands it.
- Write down the plan and all emergency contact information.
- Share your emergency plan with a trusted community member so they can help, if possible.
- Have a meeting point in the event your family gets separated or someone is not home when disaster strikes.
- Create emergency packs for each family member and store them in an easy to access area.
Emergency Survival Kits for Earthquakes
Have an emergency survival kit for each family member that is tailored to their specific needs. Check the packs once a month to update necessities and make sure nothing is broken or missing.
- Water
- Flashlights
- Prescription medication
- Batteries
- Matches/lighters
- First aid kit
- Matches
- Identification
- Warm clothes
- Extra pair of shoes
- Non-perishable snacks
In addition, have an emergency survival kit for the entire household.
- Radio
- Back up power source
- Non-perishable foods
- Swiss army knife
- Cash
- Local maps
- Water purification tablets
- Can opener
- Waterproof tarp
Communication is Key
Keeping in touch with your loved ones and staying on top of the news is key to making it through an emergency situation. It’s unlikely that you’ll lose cell phone service, but you might lose power and cell phones need to be charged eventually.
The Duracell PowerSource is completely portable emergency power that can run a full-sized refrigerator for 5-hours. Your family can charge their cell phones and rechargeable batteries so everyone can stay in touch and keep their devices powered on. Use it for indoor or outdoor power.
It’s difficult to fully prepare for an earthquake but having a plan and emergency kits is a great place to start. These will help keep your family safe and comfortable until you are able to enjoy the comforts of home again.
Head to our blog for more emergency preparedness tips.