Earthquakes are a natural part of life and can strike at any time. From California to Alaska, every area is at risk of experiencing an earthquake. In order to be prepared, it’s important to have an earthquake preparedness plan and an earthquake kits in place. Let’s take a look at the steps you need to take to create an effective earthquake preparedness plan.
What Should Be in Your Earthquake Kit?
Your earthquake kit should contain all the essential items needed for survival in the event that you experience an earthquake. This includes items like food, water, flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit, blankets, extra clothing, and any other items that may come in handy during or after a quake. Your kit should also include copies of your important documents such as birth certificates, passports and insurance policies stored in waterproof containers or plastic bags. Additionally, make sure to include enough supplies for each member of your family so everyone has what they need.
Creating a Communication Plan
Having a communication plan is also essential when preparing for earthquakes. During an emergency situation or disaster like an earthquake it can be difficult to stay connected with loved ones due to power outages or cell phone towers being down. To ensure you are able to connect with family members during such times make sure you have contact information stored on devices that don’t require electricity (such as paper) as well as online platforms such as Google Docs or iCloud where it can easily be accessed by multiple people if needed. It’s also important to have designated meeting points so everyone knows where they should meet after the event if separated from one another during the quake.
Practicing Earthquake Drills
Practicing emergency drills beforehand is another way to prepare for earthquakes and ensure that everyone knows what they need to do if one occurs while they are inside or outside of their home. Run through scenarios with your family and practice how best to move away from windows/doorways/heavy furniture and find places of refuge like underneath sturdy tables or against interior walls until the shaking stops. Make sure everyone knows how best evacuate the premises quickly while staying safe and avoiding falling objects or hazardous materials such as broken glass or gas leaks caused by damaged pipes after the quake has passed by.
No matter where you live it’s always best practice to have some sort of disaster preparation plan in place; this especially applies when living in areas prone to earthquakes like California, Alaska and Hawaii. Creating an emergency kit filled with all necessary supplies needed for survival is key along with having contact information stored both online and offline just in case communication lines become compromised during such events as well as running through various scenarios with your family so everyone knows what steps need taking before and after an earthquake strikes! Doing these things will help ensure you are best prepared for whatever comes your way!
