FEMA has some handy guides to help steer you through the fundamentals of earthquake-resistant design and construction. What if you are driving, in a theater, in bed, at the beach, etc.? than to die in a collapsed building. Learn your child’s school or daycare disaster plans. Learn about health and safety risks from tsunamis. Secure top heavy furniture to walls with flexible straps. Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. Know how to turn off your gas and water mains. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Southern California Thursday, leaving scattered damage and dozens of aftershocks in its wake. An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the ground caused by the shifting of rocks deep underneath the earth’s surface. A great time to practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On is by participating in a Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill (each October in most areas). This early detection notification system is currently expanding within California, Washington, and Oregon. Hold on and protect your head with a pillow. All the same, you should memorize the basic earthquake safety tips according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Weather Words |

Brace yourself on the side with the hinges to avoid the door swinging at you. Some other recommendations in the "triangle of life" e-mail are also based on wrong assumptions and very hazardous. Use a whistle if one is available. The ONLY exception to the "Drop, Cover and Hold On" rule is if you are in a country with unengineered construction, and if you are on the ground floor of an unreinforced mud-brick (adobe) building, with a heavy ceiling. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, trees, signs, buildings, vehicles and other things that may fall on your car.

Practicing earthquake drills will help children understand what to do and how to stay safe during an earthquake. If you are in a restaurant, get under the table. The West Coast is most at risk of You will be more likely to react quickly when shaking begins if you have actually practiced how to protect yourself on a regular basis. If You're Inside During a Quake Key things to remember: drop, take cover and hold on.

Put on long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes and work gloves to protect yourself against broken objects.

Ask them to send this link to everyone they sent the "triangle" email, and to the person who sent it to them. In 2019, the University of California at Berkeley released the MyShake app for your smartphone that delivers the ShakeAlert® notifications to your phone. Here are some tips to keep you safe. But according to the Earthquake Country Alliance, this is only true if you are in an “old, unreinforced adobe house.” In modern homes, the rest of the house is just as strong. The stuff inside your home is just as important as the walls themselves. If child’s school or childcare center is in an area at risk from earthquakes, find out how their emergency plan addresses earthquakes. Also, make sure all of your family members know when and how to contact 9-1-1. Indicate the location of your family’s emergency outdoor meeting place. LockA locked padlock Being prepared for an earthquake will make the difference in being able to protect yourself, your family or your home in the event of earthquake. While inspecting your home, make sure you know how to shut off your utilities. This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary. Hurricanes | Tornadoes | Winter Storms | East Coast. Try to get as far away from buildings, power lines, trees and poles as possible. Take some time to discuss evacuation with your family. If an earthquake hits while you are indoors, stay inside and take cover. In that case, you should try to move quickly outside to an open space.

Source : http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/. Mark where the utility switches or valves are located, and learn how to turn off your gas and water mains, as well as electricity. For one, the time between the siren and the wave crashing onshore may be small.

Install safety latches on cabinets to keep them closed. Official websites use .gov Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures, or furniture.

When the ground starts to roll under your feet, resist the temptation to run outside. If you rent, ask your landlord how the home has been strengthened to guard against earthquakes. If in a recliner or bed: cover your head & neck with your arms or a pillow. Keep several flashlights in easily accessible places around the house. The "triangle of life" advice (always get next to a table rather than underneath it) is based on several wrong assumptions: buildings always collapse in earthquakes (wrong- especially in developed nations, and flat "pancake" collapse is rare anywhere); when buildings collapse they always crush all furniture inside (wrong- people DO survive under furniture or other shelters); people can always anticipate how their building might collapse and anticipate the location of survivable void spaces (wrong- the direction of shaking and unique structural aspects of the building make this nearly impossible) ; and.

Be careful when cleaning up. DO NOT stand in a doorway: An enduring earthquake image of California is a collapsed adobe home with the door frame as the only standing part. When that happens, the first quake is called a foreshock, and the second temblor is called a main shock. If you have pets, find out where you could shelter your family pets if you should have to evacuate. Updated! If you’re trapped, stay calm. However, there is the possibility of structural failure in certain building types, especially unreinforced masonry (brick buildings), and in certain structures constructed before the latest building codes.

Falsehoods spread like wildfire in emergency situations. Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Earthquakes regularly rattle our planet, striking somewhere in the world every hour of every day. Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.

Because your community will have to work together after an earthquake hits, you should become involved in your local volunteer programs that work toward your community’s disaster resilience efforts.

Be careful when driving after an earthquake and anticipate light outages. ... A common misconception in seeking cover is that doorways offer the best protection during an earthquake.

Sometimes this can be solved with a little reorganization, moving large or heavy objects to lower shelves. That also puts you in an ideal position to crawl for shelter. Work with others to lift heavy objects. Keep reading to learn how to prepare your home and family for an earthquake, as well as what to do during and after earthquake to stay safe.

If you are on a coast when a strong earthquake strikes, get to higher ground as soon as you can. Keeping Your Family Safe During a Terrorist Attack, Emergency Preparedness 101: What to keep in your emergency kit, Best Smart Devices For Saving Money & Energy, injuries and deaths caused by earthquakes. All rights reserved. ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. Don’t try to leave until the shaking has stopped. About Crystal | Contact Crystal | Privacy Plan a second way to exit each room or area. For example, if you are in a wheelchair, lock the wheels and then lean over to protect your vital organs, covering your head and neck with your arms. Depending on your needs, there are alternatives to Drop, Cover & Hold On. Under a sturdy desk or in an inside corner of your room is the safest place to be, even if you're on the 40th floor. Even after the ground grows still, the danger is not necessarily over. Weather Instruments | Keep heavy, unstable objects away from doors and exit routes. • Hold: Stay put until the shaking stops. Look into whether your home is anchored to its foundation, has weak crawl space walls, has unbraced pier-and-post foundations or has masonry walls or foundations that are not reinforced. If you’re in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow.

Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to exit. Don't light any candles unless you've ruled out gas leaks. If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place. Use the tips below protect yourself during an earthquake. • Cover: Place an arm and hand over your head and neck to shield them from debris. Be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you feel an aftershock. You may have to care for injured people or pets after an earthquake. However, you likely have never experienced the kind of strong earthquake shaking that is possible in much large earthquakes: sudden and intense back and forth motions of several feet per second will cause the floor or the ground to jerk sideways out from under you, and every unsecured object around you could topple, fall, or become airborne, potentially causing serious injury. If you’re under a shelter like a table, keep hold of it with one hand. Stay Safe During an Earthquake: Drop, Cover, and Hold On.