Prepare for Earthquakes

Do you and your family know how to prepare for an earthquake?

The Earthquake Safety Checklist is available in 9 languages and large print.
(English |Large Print English | Arabic | Chinese | French | Haitian-Creole | Korean | Spanish | Tagalog | Vietnamese)

What To Do At Home:

• Find safe places in every room, such as under a desk or against an inside wall. During an earthquake, these are places to take cover where nothing can fall on you.
• Practice Drop, Cover and Hold On! at least twice a year. Drop under a nearby table or desk and hold on to it. Cover your head with your free arm. If you are not near a table or desk, sit against an interior wall away from anything that might break or fall on you and Drop, Cover and Hold On! Don’t forget, teach your children to Drop, Cover and Hold On!
• Designate an out of town contact for your family. We all remember how phone lines go down during an emergency. When they come back up, it will be easier to call out of town or even out of state than locally. During an emergency, each person in your family should contact that person. The out of town contact will be able to tell each of you where the other is when you may not able to call each other. You can print our Emergency Contact Card and start now.
• Experts are available and very willing to help you find additional ways to protect your home, such as bolting your house to its foundation or training to use a fire extinguisher.
• Inform others, like babysitters or caregivers, of your emergency plan.

Eliminate Hazards

• Secure your furniture. Unsecured furniture may fall on you during an earthquake.

Prepare a Disaster Supplies Kit For Your Home, Work, and Car. Learn How Here.

Know What to Do When the Shaking Begins

• DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON! Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place. Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you’re sure it’s safe to exit. Stay away from windows. In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake.
• If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow.
• If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the ground.
• If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

Identify What to Do After the Shaking Stops

• Check yourself for injuries. Protect yourself from further danger by putting on long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, and work gloves.
• Check others for injuries. Give aid according to your level of training… sometimes the best aid can be provided just by being a caring presence.
• Look for and extinguish small fires. Eliminate fire hazards. Turn off the gas if you smell gas or think it’s leaking. (Remember, only a professional should turn it back on.)
• Listen to the radio for instructions.
• Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON!
• Inspect your home for damage. Get everyone out if your home is unsafe.
• Expect phone systems to be overloaded during an emergency. Use the telephone only to report life-threatening emergencies.

More on Earthquakes:
7 Common Earthquake Myths: Exposed!
7 Steps to Earthquake Safety
Common Earthquake Terms

Want to share this information? The Earthquake Safety Checklist is available for download.