How to Survive an Earthquake.docx
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HowtoSurviveanEarthquake
HowtoSurviveinanEarthquake
Alittleknowledgeandafewprecautionarymeasurescanenormouslyincreaseyourchancesofsurvivinganearthquake-oranyothertypeofhazard.Thekeysareeducationandpreparinginadvance.Theearthquakesafetytipsbelowwillnotmakeyouanexpert.However,theycouldmakealife-savingdifferenceifyoufind yourselfinanearthquakesituation.Investinyourpersonalsafetybystudyingbelow.
BeforetheEarthquake:
∙Learnhowtosurviveduringthegroundmotion.Thisisdescribedinthe"DuringtheEarthquake"sectionbelow.Theearthquakesafetytipstherewillprepareyouforthefastactionneeded-mostearthquakesareoverinsecondssoknowingwhattodoinstinctivelyisveryimportant.
∙Teachallmembersofyourfamilyaboutearthquakesafety.Thisincludes:
1)theactionsyoushouldtakewhenanearthquakeoccurs,2)thesafeplacesinaroomsuchasunderastrongdesk,alonginteriorwalls,and3)placestoavoidsuchasnearwindows,largemirrors,hangingobjects,heavyfurnitureandfireplaces.
∙Stockuponemergencysupplies.Theseinclude:
batteryoperatedradio(andextrabatteries),flashlights(andextrabatteries),firstaidkit,bottledwater,twoweeksfoodandmedicalsupplies,blankets,cookingfuel,toolsneededtoturnoffyourgas,waterandelectricutilities.
∙Arrangeyourhomeforsafety:
Storeheavyobjectsonlowershelvesandstorebreakableobjectsincabnentswithlatcheddoors.Don'thangheavymirrorsorpicturesabovewherepeoplefrequentlysitorsleep.
∙Anchorheavyappliancesandfurnituresuchaswaterheaters,refrigeratorsandbookcases.
∙Storeflamableliquidsawayfrompotentialignitionsourcessuchaswaterheaters,stovesandfurnaces.
∙GetEducated.Learnwhattododuringanearthquake(seebelow).Thenyouwillbereadyforthefastactionneeded.Makesurethatallmembersofyourfamilyhavethisimportanteducation.
∙Learnwherethemainturn-offsareforyourwater,gasandelectricity.Knowhowtoturnthemoffandthelocationofanyneededtools.
DuringtheEarthquake:
∙Ifyouareindoors,staythere.Quicklymovetoasafelocationintheroomsuchasunderastrongdesk,astrongtable,oralonganinteriorwall.Thegoalistoprotectyourselffromfallingobjectsandbelocatednearthestructuralstrongpointsoftheroom.Avoidtakingcovernearwindows,largemirrors,hangingobjects,heavyfurniture,heavyappliancesorfireplaces.
∙Ifyouarecooking,turnoffthestoveandtakecover.
∙Ifyouareoutdoors,movetoanopenareawherefallingobjectsareunlikelytostrikeyou.Moveawayfrombuildings,powerlinesandtrees.
∙Ifyouaredriving,slowdownsmoothlyandstoponthesideoftheroad.Avoidstoppingonorunderbridgesandoverpasses,orunderpowerlines,treesandlargesigns.Stayinyourcar.
AftertheEarthquake:
∙Checkforinjuries,attendtoinjuriesifneeded,helpensurethesafetyofpeoplearoundyou.
∙Checkfordamage.Ifyourbuildingisbadlydamagedyoushouldleaveituntilithasbeeninspectedbyasafetyprofessional.
∙Ifyousmellorhearagasleak,geteveryoneoutsideandopenwindowsanddoors.Ifyoucandoitsafely,turnoffthegasatthemeter.Reporttheleaktothegascompanyandfiredepartment.Donotuseanyelectricalappliancesbecauseatinysparkcouldignitethegas.
∙Ifthepowerisout,unplugmajorappliancestopreventpossibledamagewhenthepoweristurnedbackon.Ifyouseesparks,frayedwires,orsmellhotinsulationturnoffelectricityatthemainfuseboxorbreaker.Ifyouwillhavetostepinwatertoturnofftheelectricityyoushouldcallaprofessionaltoturnitoffforyou.
Whetheryouliveinanearthquake-proneregionlike California orJapan orincalmerlands,theideaofeverythingaroundyoushakinguncontrollably--andpotentiallycatastrophically--canbeterrifying.
There'saparticularsenseofhelplessnessthatcanaccompanyearthquakes,especiallybecausethereisnoestablishedscientificmethodofpredictingthem.Withthatinmind,preparationisthebestdefense.
IfyouresideinaplacelikeCalifornia'sBayArea,wherethereareeightormorefaultsthatcouldproduceaseriousearthquakewithamagnitudeof6.7orworse,knowinghowbesttoweatheranearthquakeisasessentialasaFloridian'sknowingwhattodowhena hurricane approaches[source:
USGS].
Withthatinmind,we'lltakealookatwhattodobefore,duringandafteranearthquakeinthisarticle.Fromsuppliestoretrofittingtoemergencycommunication,we'llcoveritall.We'llalsoseewhetherduckandcoverisindeedthebestmethodandwhyDougCopp's"TriangleofLife"techniquehasattractedsomuchcontroversy.
First,let'sseehowtosecureyourhome.
EarthquakeSurvival:
SecuringtheHome
It'simpossibleforabuildingtobeconsidered"earthquake proof."Earthquakesvaryintype,locationandmagnitude,andevensomeofthebestretrofittingmaynotstanduptoanoverwhelminglypowerfulearthquake(say,an8.5).Evenso,youcantakemeasurestosecureabuildingbeforeanearthquakeandtopreventpotentiallydangerouscomplicationsafterward.Itstartswithmakingsureyourhousedoesn'tmovefromitsfoundationduringtheearthquake'sresultinggroundmotion.
A seismicretrofit generallyinvolvesboltingthehousetothefoundation--ifit'snotalready. Plywood isusedtobracethewalls,whichinturnareattachedtostructuralsupportsknownas floorframing.Thefoundationitselfmightneedsomework.Forexample,anexpertmightrecommendthatanoldbrickfoundationbereplacedor"capped"withconcrete [source:
Burnett].Theseefforts,whendoneproperly,canhelptoshifttheearthquake'sforce.Insteadofdamagingthestructureofthehouseorknockingitoffitsfoundation,thefoundationitselfabsorbsthebruntoftheshaking.
Usuallytheactualshakingofthequaketendstodothemostdamagetobuildings.Thedistancefromtheepicenterandthemagnitudedeterminehowmuchdamagemightbecaused,butthetypeofsoilandconstructionofthehouseareimportantaswell.Aweakfoundationontopofsoft,sandysoilposesmorehazardsthanafirmfoundationonsolidbedrock.Inadditiontoshaking,earthquakesmayalsobringwiththem fire, water leaksandotheraftereffects.
Retrofittingcancoststensofthousandsof dollars,thoughitmaybemuchless.Somecontractorsspecializeinretrofitting,butastructuralengineermaybeneeded.
Besidessecuringthefoundationandstructure,individualitemsshouldalsobeconsidered.Largepiecesoffurniture,particularlythosethataretallerthantheyarewide,shouldbeboltedtothewall.Storebreakableitemsonlowshelvesorincabinetsthancanbesecuredshut.Becarefulofplacingpicturesorotheritemsthatcouldfalloverbeds.Finally,makesureyouhaveaworking fireextinguisher.
Duringtheretrofittingprocess,it'sagoodtimetoidentifyplacesthatwillbesafeduringaquake,thoughwe'lldiscussthistopicmorelater.Alsokeepinmindthatemergencyinstructions(suchasforshuttingoffgas)shouldbehandy,andmakesureyouhaveapairofgoodshoes,aflashlightandwarmclothingreadilyaccessible.
KEEPINTOUCH
Makeaplantocommunicateorrendezvouswithfamilymembersincaseyouaren'ttogetherwhenanearthquakeoccurs.Keepinmindthatcellphoneservicemaybeinterrupted.
EarthquakeSupplies
Asupplyof food and water isessentialforanyonein earthquakecountry.Keepwaterstoredinplasticbottles.Athree-daysupply,madeupofadailyrationoftwoquarts(1.9liters)ofdrinkingandtwoquartsforfoodandsanitation,shouldbeconsideredaminimumguideline.Expertsrecommendchangingthiswatersupplyeverysixmonths[source:
SanFranciscoChronicle].
Asforfood,keeponhandcannedgoodsfromvariousfoodgroups(andacanopener).Theseprovisionsshouldbereadytoeatorrequireminimalornopreparation.Makesureyouhaveastashofanyrequiredspecialfoods,especiallyforfamilymemberswhoaresickorhaveparticulardietaryneeds.Focusonnutritiousitemsloadedwithgood calories,likenuts,peanutbutter,crackersandgranola.Avoidprovisionsthatrequireanythingmorethanaminimumamountofhotwater,suchasriceorpasta.Bettertostickwithinstant coffee, tea oroatmeal.Yourfoodsupplyshouldbereplacedorrestockedonceayear.Itcanalsobehelpfultokeepastockofvitaminsonhand.
Afirst-aidkitisveryimportanttohaveincaseanyonesuffersaninjury.Manyearthquake-relatedinjuriesareminorones,suchassteppingonbrokenglassortwistinganankle.Youcanbuyagoodpremadefirst-aidkitormakeyourown;itshouldbefilledwithdisinfectants,gauze,gloves,bandages,athermometerandothersuchitems.
Youshouldalsohaveabackupsupplyofanyprescriptions,aswellasavarietyofnonprescriptiondrugs,suchaspainrelievers,antacidsandmedicationsforabdominal/intestinalproblems.Similarly,goodsanitationiskey,bothforpersonalcomfortandpreventingdisease.Makesureyouhaveacacheoftoiletpaper,soaps,handsanitizers,garbagebags,bleachanddisinfectants.
We'vetakencareofnutrition,hydrationandhealth,butclothes,toolsandpersonaldocumentsarealsoessential.Agoodsweatshirtandsturdyshoeswillnotonlykeepyouwarmiftheheatdoesn'twork;theywillalsoprotectyoufromexposednails,shardsofglassorotherhazards.Ifyourequireglasses,makesurethey'renearyourbedincaseyou'retherewhenaquakestrikes,andkeepabackuppairinyourkit.
Yoursuppliesshouldalsoincludeblankets,flashlights(withfresh batteries),tape,awrenchorothertooltoturnoffthegas,cash,a fireextinguisher andabattery-orhand-operated radio.Documentslikep