SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Before an Earthquake

• Be informed by receiving alerts, warnings, and public safety information before, during, and after emergencies.

• Create and review your family emergency plan.

• Identify safe places to take cover (such as under a sturdy piece of furniture) in your home, office, or school.

• Practice how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On.

• Assemble an emergency kit.

• Prepare your home for possible emergencies.

  • Fasten bookcases, hutches, and freestanding shelving to walls. Place large, heavy objects, as well as fragile objects, on lower shelves.

  • Know where your electricity, gas, and water switches and valves are located and how to shut them off.

• Make a record of your personal property by taking photos/videos of your belongings. Store these records in a safe place.

During an Earthquake

• Stay inside. Do not get in a doorway

• Drop, Cover, and Hold On

  • Drop down to the ground so the earthquake doesn’t knock you down.

  • Cover your head and neck with your arms to protect you from falling debris. If possible, crawl under a sturdy desk, table or other piece of furniture for additional protection. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and other items that could fall.

  • Hold on to any sturdy item you can until the shaking stops.

  • If You Are Outside, move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.

  • If You Are in a Vehicle, pull to the side of the road and stay inside until the earthquake is over. Do not stop under overpasses or power lines.

  • Protect your head and neck with a large book, a pillow, or your arms. The goal is to prevent injuries from falling down or from objects that might fall or be thrown at you.

After an Earthquake

• Continue to monitor media for emergency information.

• Follow instructions from public safety officials.

• If you are trapped, try calling or texting for help. Try tapping on a pipe or wall or using a whistle to help rescuers locate you.

• Stay away from downed utility wires. Always assume a downed power line is live.

• Stay out of damaged buildings and areas until authorities deem them safe.

• Check your home for damage:

  • If you believe there is a gas leak, go outdoors immediately, and do not turn electrical switches or appliances on or off.

  • Check chimneys for visual damage and have a professional inspect the chimney for internal damage before lighting a fire.

  • If your home or property is damaged, take photos or videos to document your damage, and contact your insurance company.

• If phone lines are down, use social media or texting to let others know you are OK.

• Be a good neighbor. Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially the elderly, those who live alone, those with medical conditions, and those who may need additional assistance.

• Expect and prepare for potential aftershocks, landslides or even a tsunami if you live on a coast.

• Each time you feel an aftershock, DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. Aftershocks frequently occur minutes, days, weeks and even months following an earthquake.

• Look for and extinguish small fires. Fire is the most common hazard after an earthquake.

• If you are in a damaged building, go outside and quickly move away from the building. Do not enter damaged buildings.

• If you are trapped, send a text or bang on a pipe or wall. Cover your mouth with your shirt for protection and instead of shouting, use a whistle.

• If you are in an area that may experience tsunamis, go inland or to higher ground immediately after the shaking stops. Avoid contact with floodwaters as they can contain chemicals, sewage, and debris.