Your Personal Safety
The following pages concentrate on making your environment safer before the next earthquake. What should you do during an earthquake? The next big earthquake will be less traumatic if you:
- prepare an earthquake plan and practice it;
- know what to do during a big earthquake; and
- store supplies to make life more comfortable after the earthquake (see what you will need in the Life with Aftershocks section)
Prepare a Plan
How rational do you think you will be during the violent shaking of a major earthquake? Before the next earthquake, get together with your family or housemates to plan now what you will do during and after that event. See Earthquake Plan for a useful plan.
- Teach everyone to "duck, cover, and hold."
- Identity safe spots in every room, such as sturdy desks and tables, and interior walls.
- Teach everyone who could be home alone how to turn off the gas -- but only if they smell, hear or see a leak.
- Establish an out-of-area contact person who can be called by all family members to relay information. In an emergency, out-of-area calls are often easier to place than local calls.
- Store supplies and prepare a personal earthquake bag.
Practice your plan often before the next earthquake, so habit can overcome fear.
Also work with your neighbors to prepare a neighborhood plan. You may have elderly or disabled neighbors who could need your help. The support of friends and neighbors could redue the stress for everyone.
DUCK, COVER, and HOLD
During an earthquake, duck under a sturdy desk or table if possible, or crouch near an inside wall; cover your head and eyes with your hands and arms, and turn away from possible breaking glass or falling objects; and hold onto the desk or table so that it doesn't move away from you. Wait there until the shaking stops.
The area near the exterior walls of buildings is the most dangerous place to be. Windows, facades, and architectural details are the first parts of the building to collapse. To stay away from this danger zone, stay inside if you are inside a building and outside if you are outside during the earthquake.
Do not try to run outside or to another room - severe shaking will make it difficult to move. Duck, cover, and hold - wherever you are. Doorways are no safer than elsewhere in the home. If your building begins to collapse, you are safest under a sturdy piece of furniture that can shield you from falling debris.
Focus on personal safety when covering yourself. If the chair or table you are under moves, move with it. Turn away from potential flying hazards, such as breaking glass from a window or mirror. Expect many noises. The house or building will creak from moving, items will fall and make crashing noises, and some glassware may break. Animals will "shout" in alarm (barking, squawking, etc.).
Head for the doorway? -- It is better to get under a table!
An enduring earthquake image is a collapsed adobe house with the doorway as the only standing part. From this came the belief that a doorway is the safest place to be during an earthquake. True - if you live in an old, unreinforced adobe hourse. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house and usually have doors that will swing and can insure you. You are safer under a table.
WHAT TO DO DURING AN EARTHQUAKE
Indoors: Duck cover, and hold. If you are not near a desk or table, drop to the floor against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects, mirrors and tall furniture.
In a kitchen: Get away from the stove, refrigerator, and cabinets with heavy objects. Leave the kitchen if necessary. Get onder a table. Duck, cover and hold.
In a high rise: Duck, cover, and hold. Avoid windows and other hazards. Do not use elevators. Do not be surprised if sprinkler system or fire alarms activate.
Outdoors: Move to a clear area if you safely do so; avoid power lines, trees, signs, buildings, vehicles, and other hazards.
Driving: Pull over to the side of the road, if safe to do so, stop, and set the parking brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs, and other hazards. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a power line falls on the car, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.
In a mall: Move away from display shelves. Look for sturdy furniture or an interior wall. Duck, cover, and hold.
In a theater or stadium: Stay at your seat and crouch on the floor. Protect your head and neck with your arms. Don't try to leave until the shaking is over. Then walk out slowly watching for anything that could fall from aftershocks.
A Special Note About Children
If earthquakes scare us because we feel out of
control, think how much more true this must be for children, who already must
depend on adults for so much in their lives. It is important to spend time with
children in your care before the next earthquake to explain why earthquakes
occur, involve them in hazard hunts, prepare earthquake kits, and practice
"duck, cover, and hold." Play the Earthquake Game. Consider simulating
post-earthquake conditions by going without electricity or tap water. After an
earthquake, remember that children will be under great stress. They may be
frightened, their routine will be disrupted, and the aftershocks won't let them
forget. Expect their behavior to regress. Adults tend to leave children to deal
with many demands of the emergency, but this can be devastating to children.
After a strong earthquake, keep the family together as much as possible to help
alleviate fears of being abandoned and unprotected. Encourage children (and
adults) to talk about their experience, reactions, and feelings about the
earthquake and its aftermath. Extra contact and support from parents in the
early days will pay off later. Whenever possible, include children in the
recovery process.
The Earthquake Game
When someone calls "earthquake," everyone must pretend that an earthquake is happening and "duck, cover, and hold." After 15 seconds, you come out and take five slow breaths to practice calming down. Look around in the room you are in and briefly describe to each other what might have happened during an earthquake, such as cupboard doors opening and dishes and glassware falling out in the kitchen. Then discuss how everyone responded and what could be done better. While it is fresh in your mind, if you can quickly secure or move an identified hazard in a room, do so.
You win!
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