EARTHQUAKE SAFETY
Preparing for an Earthquake
Prep Your Supplies
Make sure you have plenty of water.
Water is the one thing you can’t live without, and if water supplies are interrupted, you should have enough water on hand to provide 1 gallon per day for every member of your household (including pets) for 7–10 days.
Alternative water sources: You can drink the water in your water heater and from the toilet tank (not the bowl!). You can also purchase a water barrel that can be stored outdoors and can hold water for 5 years using the proper preservative.
You cannot drink or use pool water for cooking, but it can be used for sanitary purposes. There are no filters that can filter pool water to make it drinkable.
Check out more water info on Ready.gov.
Maintain an updated, well-stocked emergency kit.
Check out these resources on how to build and maintain an emergency kit.
Prep Your Home
Fasten furniture to the walls. Falling objects are one of the major causes of injury from earthquakes.
Use earthquake putty or museum wax to fasten breakable items to shelves and furniture.
Many injuries during an earthquake are due to stepping on broken glass. Tie shoes to your bed so that if you’re there when a quake hits, you can protect your feet from cuts.
Have a non-metallic wrench tied to your gas meter so you can turn it off if you smell gas or need to evacuate.
Put in nightlights that will turn on automatically if the power goes off.
Practice!
It may sound silly, but if you imagine what you will do and where you will go during the shaking and once the shaking stops, you will be better prepared and calmer. What will you do if an earthquake hits when you're in the kitchen? If you're sleeping? In the shower? In a store? At work?
Earthquake Do’s and Don’ts
DO
Duck, cover, and hold until the shaking stops. Protect your head. Get under a table or desk and hold onto it. Get your head under a chair and hold onto it. Anything to keep falling things from hurting you. Be prepared for aftershocks.
Get away from windows and mirrors. Identify good places to protect yourself in your home.
Check around your house for damage. Has a water or a gas pipe broken? Know how to turn these things off.
DON’T
Stand in doorways. That’s a myth! The door can swing violently during the shaking and could hit you or slam closed on your fingers and hands.
Panic. Keeping a cool head is one of your most valuable tools in any emergency. Take a deep breath, remember your plan, and move forward one step at a time.
The CERT Course
Agoura Hills CERT offers a series of training courses so you can be better prepared for a disaster.
Becoming a Member
If you’d like to help the general community in times of disaster, consider becoming a member of Agoura Hills CERT. The group participates in refresher and supplemental training to keep our skills polished and ready.