Earthquake Safety Tips

As you may know, earthquakes happen without giving enough warning. They occur at any given point of time and any time during the year. Big or small, earthquakes are becoming more and more regular throughout the U.S. continent. Safety tips for an earthquake, along with planning ahead of time, can help you save yours and your family's lives. Here are some essential earthquake safety tips that will help you in reducing hazards and understanding what to expect before, during, and after an earthquake strikes. Read more on earthquake forecasting.

Before an Earthquake Strikes

When an earthquake happens, you don't want to be caught unprepared. As a precautionary method to keep you and your family safe, act before the sudden strike of an earthquake. Here are some specific earthquake safety precautions that need to be handled before it's too late to act. Read more on what causes earthquake.

Earthquake safety rules for your house involves certain sections.

• The shelves should be secured to the walls and keep heavy objects on the bottom shelf.
• In the kitchen, place all the fragile items such as glass, china, and bottled foods in lower cabinets that have latches.
• Keep the pictures and mirrors away from the beds and sofas; absolutely away from where people sit underneath it.
• If there is any defect in the wiring or gas connections, fix it as soon as possible, to avoid potential risk of fire.
• Any visible cracks in the walls, ceilings, or the foundations of your house should be taken care of immediately.

Appoint safe places for you and your family to meet - indoors and outdoors.

• Anywhere underneath a sturdy table or desk in the house or office.
• Stand against the inside of a wall which doesn't have anything above it; clear sky.
• Stand away from glass windows, walls, pictures, china cabinet, and bookcases.
• Stay away from tall buildings, don't stand underneath trees or telephone poles.
• Avoid going under overpasses and freeways.

Make sure that your family understands all the earthquake safety tips beforehand.

• Children tend to get scared easily when they don't understand what's going on and what exactly they are supposed to do in such a situation. Therefore, earthquake safety tips for kids is a must.
• Educate them about calling 9-1-1 and/or fire department and when they should use it.
• Along with all these earthquake safety tips and instructions, demonstrate your family how to turn the gas, electricity, and water off.

Prepare an earthquake safety checklist and store the supplies.

• You'll need a flashlight with extra batteries.
• Completely stocked first aid kit with the manual.
• Canned foods (with nonelectric opener) and bottled water.
• Some money stored in the supply kit for emergency use only.

During an Earthquake

Your first goal towards assembling earthquake safety tips is to be as safe as possible. As certain counties get slammed with the aftershocks, you want to make sure that you and your family are keeping all the precautions required. Here are some specific earthquake safety tips that need to be handled during one. Read more on how are earthquakes detected.

Safety precautions if you happen to be indoors.

• One of the first earthquake safety tips for high-rise dwellers is to immediately drop down to the floor, cover yourself against a tough table or desk, and stay till the shaking has stopped.
• Don't stand too close to the glass windows, huge furnitures that can fall over you, electric poles, and walls that might fall over you.
• If you are in bed, stay put. Don't try to run anywhere else, cover your head with couple of pillows. If there are any heavy fixtures on top of the bed, get out of there and move to more secure location.
• If your doors are sturdy enough and can support the load, stay close to it.
• Never use elevators while in your office or any buildings.

Safety precautions if you happen to be outdoors.

• The best place to be caught up in when an earthquake strikes is outdoors. Hence, stay put, till the shaking has stopped.
• Stand away from tall buildings, trees, streetlights, and other electrical wires.

Safety precautions if you are in a car or any other moving vehicle.

• As safely as you can, stop the vehicle on the side of the road and stay inside. Don't stop under a tree, freeway overpass, or electrical wires.
• Once the earthquake has passed, be cautious when you start again. Don't get on any roads, freeways, or ramps that may have been in the path of the earthquake.

Safety Precautions if you are stuck under debris.

• Strictly, don't light a matchstick or move around underneath.
• Cover your face with some sort of clothing to keep the dirt from getting in your lungs and eyes.
• When you hear rescue teams outside, make some noise by tapping a pipe or against the wall. This will aid them in locating you quickly.

After the Earthquake Strikes

Once the earthquake has stopped and your nerves get settled, there are certain guidelines you need to follow. Of course the aftershocks can happen as soon as in the first couple of hours, days, or weeks, but it won't be as violent as the actual earthquake. Here are some specific earthquake safety tips that need to be handled after one.

• Keep yourself and your family informed on the latest news through a battery-operated radio/television.
• Use telephones only when there's an emergency.
• If you are going inside your house, proceed with caution. Check the foundation carefully, either by yourself or a rescue team member.
• Help people around you, especially women, children, and seniors. Bring them water, food, or clothing if needed.
• If you find anybody badly injured, don't move them yourself. Call an emergency rescue team member immediately.
• Check your house and surrounding areas for any leakage of gasoline, bleaches, or other hazardous/flammable liquids.

To understand the necessity of earthquake safety tips, read more on:

• Natural Disasters
• 4 Facts on Earthquakes
• Earthquake Facts: Why do Earthquakes Happen

When an earthquake strikes, all we can do is be prepared. There aren't many earthquake safety tips that will make it stop or occur eventually. Be careful, don't panic, protect yourself and your friends and family.
By Sheetal Mandora
Handbooks for earthquake-prone regions of the U.S. ... More links to earthquake preparedness information and response agencies