How to Prepare for an Earthquake

Proper earthquake preparation is essential in surviving ‘The Big One’. Follow these simple steps meticulously, in order to assure that you will have the best chances at surviving an earthquake.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. One of the most important things you can have is an earthquake survival kit on hand. Check this link for details on contents. A tip is to keep one of these in your vehicle so it is always with you.
2. Make sure that all family members know how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity in case there is damage after the earthquake that needs to be taken care of. It may prove useful to take your digital camera and make a How-to guide, customized to your home, for these things which can be stored in the kit. This guide can prove useful in other applications, not just earthquakes.
3. Plan family emergency procedures, and make plans for reuniting your family. Be sure that everyone knows all emergency telephone numbers (doctor, hospital, police, 911, etc). It can be good to store these in all cell phones for your family.
4. Anchor heavy objects to walls (bookcases, wall units, mirrors, etc.) Cabinet doors can be set up with earthquake safety latches to prevent heavy or breakable objects from falling out.
5. Never place heavy objects over beds or sitting areas. Keep heavy objects lower than the height of the shortest member of your family in order to prevent things from falling on your heads during the earthquake.