How to React During an Earthquake

Unlike hurricanes or floods, earthquakes come without warning and are usually followed by similar aftershocks. Learn how to prepare your house for earthquake safety and how to react if one does occur.

Steps

• Avoid unstable items and buildings. Injuries and deaths during earthquakes are caused by falling objects and collapsing structures, and are largely avoidable. Take extra care in your home to ensure minimal damage or injury.
• Secure heavy items. Since falling objects pose the greatest danger during an earthquake, all tall or heavy furniture should be secured to the wall to prevent it from toppling over. TVs, stereos, heavy paintings, pots and plants should be tied down or placed on safety mantles. Remove all heavy items from the tops of shelves and cupboards.
• Be fire aware. Ensuing fires after an earthquake can cause havoc. Make sure you know where to switch off the gas supply to your apartment or building. Know the emergency exits in your building and make sure they are not obstructed in any way. Keep a regularly maintained fire extinguisher nearby and learn how to use it. Most fires start small and can be extinguished easily with quick action.
• Prepare an escape bag. Include in it a radio, flashlights, spare batteries, solid fuel for a cooker, candles, money and ID documents. Stock up at least 3 days of water and food. Keep an extra rotating supply of your prescription medications in the bag.
• Protect your most vulnerable areas. In the event of an earthquake, take all measures necessary to protect your head and neck, the most vulnerable parts of your body.
• Assume the “earthquake position”. If you are indoors, drop down to the floor in the “earthquake position”. Make yourself small, with your knees on the floor, and your head tucked down toward the floor. Take cover under a sturdy desk or table. Place one hand on a leg of the table (to keep it from shifting away from you) and one hand over the back of your neck. Alternatively get down low next to a solid sofa or armchair and cover your head and neck with a pillow. Stay clear of windows, fireplaces, wood stoves, and heavy furniture or appliances that may fall over. Stay inside to avoid being injured by falling glass or building parts.
• Keep children and pets safe. If you have children or pets, do everything possible to get them under the table with you. Make sure as much of their bodies are protected as possible.
• Have shoes handy. To avoid stepping on broken glass and other objects, keep a pair of shoes and flashlight in a plastic bag tied to a foot of your bed so you don’t need to grope in the dark.
• Take precautions wherever you happen to be.
  • If you are in a crowded area, take cover where you are.
  • If you are outside, get into the open, away from buildings and power lines. If you are at the beach, move quickly to higher ground or several hundred yards inland.
  • If you are driving, stop if it is safe, but stay inside your car. Stay away from bridges, overpasses and tunnels. Move your car as far out of the normal traffic pattern as possible. If possible, avoid stopping under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs.
• Try to remain calm. Wait for the earthquake to stop before moving from your spot.

Tips

• Have a first aid kit ready. Not just for earthquakes, it’s always best to have one handy. Keep:
  • A flashlight or two
  • Batteries
  • Self Powered Flashlight x2 and Self Powered Radio x2 Try to find batteries during this emergency.
  • Glowsticks. Candles are NOT to be used because of gas leaks, explosive matter, flammable matter in the area.
  • Gauze
  • Adhesive dressings
  • Tweezers
  • Small scissors
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • and cotton balls.
• You should always have sufficient water on hand to supply your family’s needs for three to seven days. (Don’t forget there are at least 30 gallons of water in your water heater.)
• Avoid using your phone. Leave circuits open for true emergencies. If you have a true emergency but get no dial tone, don’t hang up. As long as you stay on the line you are in the queue for a circuit as they become available.
• It may help to keep pets in a basket or a cage, so that they can’t wriggle away or scratch you from fear. Ask older children to mind the pets; the sense of responsibility for their pets will help to ease a little of their fear.

Warnings

• Stay out of moderately and heavily damaged buildings (err on the side of caution). The risks of injury during aftershocks is highest during the first few days following a large earthquake. Take the same protective actions during aftershocks.
• If your shelter is damaged and the aftershock has passed, try to find another shelter, or if you can get to an undamaged area, get to it and stay there.
• If you smell gas, hear any “hissing” noises, especially near a gas line, do NOT use candles at all. In fact, GET OUT OF THAT AREA!

Things You’ll Need

• Evacuation bag (see above)
• Wrench to turn off your gas if you smell it escaping
• Fire extinguisher
• Self powered flashlights (crank flashlights or glow sticks) and self powered radios. It could be difficult to try and find batteries after a quake and candles could set off an explosion due to possible gas leaks. Power may also be out for weeks. Some models of these self powered radios and self powered flashlights can also charge cell phones. Unless the cell phone towers are damaged, even destroyed, cell phones would still function.

Thanks Wiki

How to Be Safe During a Landslide

Emotions can be running very high during periods of emergency such as landslides, earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes. Follow these steps and you will be able to keep yourself safe during a landslide.

Steps

1. Stay alert and awake. Many debris-flow fatalities occur when people are sleeping. Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio or portable, battery-powered radio or television for warnings of intense rainfall. Be aware that intense, short bursts of rain may be particularly dangerous, especially after longer periods of heavy rainfall and damp weather.
2. If you are in areas susceptible to landslides and debris flows, consider leaving if it is safe to do so. Remember that driving during an intense storm can be hazardous. If you remain at home, move to a second story if possible. Staying out of the path of a landslide or debris flow saves lives.
3. Listen for any unusual sounds that might indicate moving debris, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together. A trickle of flowing or falling mud or debris may precede larger landslides. Moving debris can flow quickly and sometimes without warning.
4. If you are near a stream or channel, be alert for any sudden increase or decrease in water flow and for a change from clear to muddy water. Such changes may indicate landslide activity upstream, so be prepared to move quickly. Don’t delay! Save yourself, not your belongings.
5. Be especially alert when driving. Embankments along roadsides are particularly susceptible to landslides. Watch the road for collapsed pavement, mud, fallen rocks, and other indications of possible debris flows.

Tips

• If you suspect danger of a landslide contact your local fire, police, or public works department. Local officials are the best persons able to assess potential danger.
• Curl into a tight ball and protect your head if escape is not possible.

Warnings

• Landslides are extremely dangerous and nothing to played around with. Evacuate immediately if you suspect imminent danger.

Thanks Wiki

How to Prepare for a Tsunami

Tsunamis are big, killer waves that cause flooding and death. While they are most commonly found in the Pacific Ocean, tsunamis can be found in the Indian Ocean, as well as the Atlantic (but in the Atlantic, it is referred to as a Tidal Wave). If you can recognize the signs of a tsunami, you can save yourself and other people.

Steps

• Look for the signs. Usually during a tsunami, the water will recede very far back. The water will be inactive, and the only waves will be very small and barely make it up to the beach. Nearby boats and ships will be likely to bob up and down. A small wave might come up and fill the water where it is supposed to be, but then it will recede back in a second. These are excellent signs that tsunami is coming.
• Understand that if you are sure that something is going to happen, warn other people immediately. Get everyone to evacuate the beach and any area near the shore.
• Run far away from the beach. Depending on the tsunami, sometimes one mile isn’t enough. The wave can sweep as much as 2,000 feet. Not often, but you want to be as safe as possible. So get far away from the water and get to a high ground, such as the top floor of a building.
• Remember that in a tsunami, the waves can be separated by short or very long periods of time. So if the first wave is not very aggressive, or is not very big, don’t think you can go back to the beach. Many times people think that the tsunami is over and are killed by the second or third wave.
• Understand that if you are caught in the tsunami’s grip, don’t fight the current. You might drown. A bunch of deadly debris might be floating by, such as cars, trees, rocks or whatever. Try to grab on to the debris or something solid in the ground, like a pole. If you can’t grab the debris, try to avoid it. Move out of its way swiftly or duck beneath. If you grab something or float on something until the water subsides or you are able to get away from the wave, you are likely to survive.

Tips

• Always get far away from the beach.
• The earlier you recognize the signs, more lives you will save.
• Always stay at a high ground, the water will continue to rise.

Warnings

• Don’t fight the speed of the current. The current is much stronger than you. If you fight it, you risk drowning or being sucked down by the surge of water.

Thanks Wiki