How to prepare for an earthquake: 15 steps you can take now

It mightiness commencement arsenic a disconcerting sensation of being somewhat off-balance oregon the detection of an antithetic rumbling. You mightiness announcement your pets acting erratically. Suddenly, it seems similar the full satellite is shaking: Books autumn disconnected shelves, furnishings topples, windows shatter. Before you cognize it, the earthquake is over—leaving lone demolition and devastation successful its wake.

The deficiency of beforehand announcement mightiness beryllium the scariest portion astir earthquakes: The United States Geological Survey’s aboriginal informing programme tin lone alert you of an impending earthquake a fewer seconds to a infinitesimal up of time. Since you volition person a little instant to instrumentality screen (at most), it’s important to hole your location and household for an earthquake up of time.

While taking these steps would beryllium adjuvant for residents crossed the country, anyone who lives successful 1 of the astir earthquake-prone areas of the United States should wage peculiar announcement to this plan. Seismologists and different scientists whitethorn not beryllium capable to foretell erstwhile the “big one” volition strike, but preparing yourself ]will springiness you immoderate bid of mind. Stacker utilized resources from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and different experts to compile a database of 15 ways you tin hole for an earthquake.

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#1. Make an exigency plan

Every idiosyncratic should person an emergency program acceptable to go nary substance wherever you unrecorded oregon what benignant of earthy catastrophe you’re astir disquieted about. Sign up for exigency alerts and warnings successful your area, determine wherever you volition question shelter, larn your evacuation route, and fig retired however you volition pass with different members of your household successful an emergency.

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#2. Prepare your exigency proviso kit

Every household should besides person an exigency proviso kit and spell bags prepared for each person. That way, nary substance what happens, you’ll person everything you request to past a disaster.

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#3. Practice taking cover

When you consciousness an earthquake, you instantly request to drop, cover, and hold. Drop down onto your hands and knees, crawl to structure nether a sturdy table oregon table, and clasp onto your shelter.

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#4. Teach everyone however to awesome for help

Taking screen nether a beardown array oregon table could forestall you from getting hurt, but you mightiness inactive beryllium trapped underneath each kinds of debris. Practice signalling for assistance by knocking loudly oregon whistling truthful you tin telephone retired to rescuers successful lawsuit you request assistance.

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#5. Learn basal archetypal aid

You ne'er cognize erstwhile you mightiness request to execute archetypal assistance connected someone—especially successful an exigency situation. Sign up for a Red Cross first assistance grooming class to marque definite you’re prepared.

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#6. Get your location checked by a structural engineer

During an earthquake, your location could descent disconnected its instauration oregon adjacent collapse. That’s not lone unsafe but could origin hundreds of thousands of dollars successful damage. A preventative retrofit, by contrast, tin outgo arsenic small arsenic $5,000 and perchance prevention your life.

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#7. Hire a contractor to cheque your state connections

Earthquakes tin rip rigid state lines from the walls, causing a state leak that could pb to occurrence oregon explosion. Have flexible transportation pipes installed to mitigate the risk.

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#8. Learn however to unopen disconnected your state manually

You mightiness not beryllium capable to archer if your state enactment breaks during an earthquake. Even if you can’t odor state oregon spot immoderate exposed pipes, it’s champion to unopen disconnected the state instantly to beryllium safe. Practice shutting disconnected the enactment earlier an earthquake truthful you cognize precisely what you request to bash successful lawsuit of emergency.

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#9. Get a occurrence extinguisher

Every location should person a occurrence extinguisher: You ne'er cognize erstwhile you mightiness request one. After an earthquake, you mightiness person to enactment retired a occurrence caused by a state leak oregon downed powerfulness lines. Fire extinguishers should beryllium successful the room and connected each level of a home.

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#10. Secure your appliances

Think astir the size of your refrigerator. Would you beryllium capable to assistance it up by yourself? Probably not. Prevent immoderate ample appliances oregon pieces of furnishings from coming escaped during an earthquake by attaching them to the walls with nylon straps, dense work hooks oregon bolts.

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#11. Install information latches connected room cabinets

Child-safe latches volition besides support you harmless from falling dishes, pots, and pans during an earthquake.

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#12. Secure each different escaped objects

Search your location for thing other that could autumn during an earthquake, specified arsenic artwork, airy fixtures, and vases. Attach them to walls oregon tables with depository wax oregon earthquake putty.

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#13. Move your furniture distant from windows

If possible, determination your furniture distant from immoderate windows. Earthquakes tin interruption the windows, causing a ablution of breached solid to autumn connected apical of you. It’s besides not a bully thought to bent dense frames oregon shelves supra your furniture for this reason.

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#14. Download maps of your metropolis for offline access

Powerful earthquakes tin sound retired some powerfulness and compartment work for hours oregon days. If you usually trust connected Google Maps to get astir town, you’ll beryllium retired of luck. Download maps of your country for online entree oregon acquisition insubstantial copies of section maps.

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#15. Consider earthquake insurance

Typical homeowner security policies don’t screen harm from earthquakes. If you unrecorded successful a peculiarly earthquake-prone area, you mightiness privation to see purchasing further earthquake security to assistance you repair your location much rapidly aft a disaster.

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