When Your Building Starts to Shake in an Earthquake
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Is earthquake preparedness part of your prep plans? If not, a little bit of effort now can prepare you and your family in case you have to face the big one!
On July 4, 2019, as American’s were celebrating Independence Day, California was hit by double 6.4 earthquakes. Specifically, the double earthquakes hit ENE of Ridgecrest, CA and SW of Searles Valley, CA.
Ben, from Suspicious Observers, someone I follow for Space and Weather related news, and someone you should follow too, said on Twitter, “It was a double! That’s not such great news either….”
It was a double! That’s not such great news either. Showing grayscale with US faults to illustrate connecting fault zone to San Andreas. #SanAndeas #earthquake pic.twitter.com/ggnZrFcqH1
— Ben (@TheRealS0s) July 4, 2019
***Update – The 2nd earthquake was updated to a smaller aftershock.
**** Update – There was another 6.9+ earthquake on July 5, 2019!
And although many other people were posting meme’s and jokes on Twitter, earthquakes, especially 6+ in California, are no joking matter.
Throughout the years, I have posted many articles on earthquakes from preparedness authors on Prepper Website. You can find many of them in the Earthquake and Earthquakes Tag Cloud. But I thought I would share some of the most valuable pieces of information and articles for your review.
Fernando Aguirre, over at The Modern Survivalist, wrote about lessons from the Nepal Earthquake in 2015. If you find yourself in a building when it starts to shake, he suggests…
“Drop. Cover. Hold. Drop down to the floor. This is the first thing to do given that an earthquake is likely to make you fall. Once on the grown, try reaching a safe location nearby, such as under a sturdy table, or next to low lying furniture that isn’t likely to fall over such as couches or next to an interior wall. Cover your head and back of your neck, these are your most critical body areas and may be hit by debris and falling objects. Hold your position until the shaking stops.”
Ken over at Modern Survival Blog, in his article, Earthquake Preparedness at Home, speaks from experience when he says that one of the most important things you can do in an earthquake is to minimize the risk of something following on you.
The #1 immediate risk/threat during an earthquake is ‘stuff’ falling on you. Whatever is hung on the walls, sitting on shelves, dressers, tables, etc., have the potential of becoming flying objects that could hit you.
The #1 immediate thing that you can do for earthquake preparedness at home is to take note of where you sleep and where you may often sit, and then secure or move any potentially dangerous objects that may become ‘missiles’.
Ken also shares what it is like if you are close to the epicenter vs further away…
“If you happen to be close to the earthquake epicenter, the initial ‘jolt’ (P-Wave) can be pretty ‘immediate’. Rather than just a rolling motion the earthquake’s initial onset is more like a ‘snap’ (this is what especially sends things flying). The further away you are, the more rolling you’ll get (vs. a more violent shaking).”
Knowing what to do when you are inside is one thing, but an earthquake won’t wait for you to be nice and cozy inside your home. What should you do if you are caught outside when the shaking happens? Daisy, over at The Organic Prepper, gives some pointers in her article, “How to Survive an Earthquake.”
One of the things that will come up a lot in emergency preparedness articles on earthquakes is that you should have an earthquake kit. Now hopefully, your home wouldn’t be so damaged that you couldn’t stay in it. But at the very minimum, you will need supplies in case utility services are compromised.
My friends, Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy, over at Doom and Bloom in their article, Earthquake Preparedness,
suggest,
• Food
• Water (count on a gallon per person minimum)
• A heat source to cook with and, perhaps, a way to sterilize water (filters, bleach, iodine, and even sunlight can help)
• Medical supplies (specifically, supplies that help treat traumatic injuries) and First Aid book
• Fire extinguishers
• Flashlights
• A portable radio
• Extra batteries
• Blankets, clothes, and shoes
• Money (have some cash, don’t count on credit or debit cards if the power’s down)
• An adjustable wrench to turn off gas or water if necessary
Remember, you don’t necessarily have to have any structural damage to be inconvenienced from an earthquake. An earthquake could make bridges unsafe, cause utilities to be turned off due to leaks, close down stores and gas stations because of road closures and even keep you from going to work depending on the damage in the surrounding areas. You need to prep for all of these considerations, which means that you might be stuck at home while services get restored.
If your home or structure is too dangerous to stay in, you’ll have to leave for something safer. In that case, your bugout bag and your bugout plans should be the plan you follow. Along with your BOB, don’t forget to take important documents with you. It might be a while before you get a chance to return to your home. If you haven’t created your emergency binder yet, watch the video below.
Here are two checklists and an infographic that can help in your earthquake preparedness.
From Visually.
Heads Up! Why we prep! #PrepperWebsite #PrepperNation #PreppedandAware #california #earthquake
Peace,
Todd
When Your Building Starts to Shake in an Earthquake
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