ready for emergencies

How prepared do you think people are for Earthquakes?

Most people are not prepared for an earthquake based upon our experience with responding and working on earthquakes response.

Most people do not believe they will see a devastating earthquake in their area, even in the many earthquake prone areas of the country. They just have decided to live with the risk and put it out of their minds. Earthquakes could affect people almost anywhere

Most people do not have the insurance coverage the need.

Earthquakes are scary, everyone admits this. Why? Because they happen without warning and they are unpredictable. There is also something about the uncontrolled shaking that is nerve wracking too! If you have ever been through a big one you will agree. Earthquakes are short in duration, lasting seconds to just a couple of minutes, but they can be extremely dangerous and damaging.

Do you ask; “Where do I go and what do I do when the shaking happens?
If I wanted to do something at home to prepare, what should I do?”

We will address these questions, but we’ll answer first; Why should you do anything to get prepared for an Earthquake?

For starters, it might mean the difference between life and death. Preparedness might decrease injuries, and it certainly might lessen physical damages to your home and belongings.

Building codes over the years have steadily required better seismic design and mitigation elements to make them withstand earthquakes. Meaning, they may sustain damage but they will not collapse. Following the Loma Prieta and Northridge Earthquakes in California for example, building design had to incorporate vast improvements and many existing buildings were required to be retrofitted with seismic reinforcements to bring them up to current codes. Great expense has been put out to bring commercial and even some residential building practices up to standards. With that being said, older homes were not built to today’s standards and remain vulnerable because they haven’t been required to apply modern codes.

Where do I go if shaking starts?

Strong>Residential

At this level, it is usually recommended that you exit your house quickly, if possible, to avoid a collapse of the house or structural elements falling upon you. Get away from the building too once your get out of it. If you cannot get out, studies show that if you would get underneath a bed or table that you will be safer than standing in a doorway under a header beam as people commonly assume.

Commercial There are many types of buildings, and one answer wouldn’t fit all. So we will try to go by some categories.

Strip Malls Exit as quickly as possible, at least get away from shelving, interior walls and large lighting fixtures.

One Story Offices, Schools, etc. Similar to the strip mall advice above, exit if possible but at least get away from anything hanging or anything that can fall over. Students usually are asked to get under their desks, because trying to get them all outside in time is almost impossible, and a simple instruction such as this helps maintain control.

Multiple Story Buildings Exiting may truly be impossible for almost everyone. Do not get in the elevator. get in the stairwells. They are potentially the safest place to be and put you in a position to get out of after an earthquake.

High Rise/Skyscrapers Exiting here too is impossible for more than the first floor people. Avoid the elevators as you would assume. Get away from the outside walls and try to get into the stairwells. As a last resort, move towards a confined office space and get under the largest computer desk around.

People will often panic when their building begins to shake. Often it takes someone to remind them what they should do. Don’t wait for it to develop into a severe earthquake. Whether it turns out to be a big or small earthquake, you only have a short time to move yourself, it is hard to walk and make quick decisions in that situation, but you must do it anyway instinctively.