Earlier this year, right around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic there was an Earthquake here in Utah. In the city of Magna that occurred on March 18th with a mainshock of 5.7 magnitudes. It came as a shock to a lot of Utah residents as it was the last thing anyone expected to happen. Besides a few broken household items and minor damage to the city, Utah residents were left with what it seemed like 1 million aftershocks that even four months later are still happening. Today's blog post will help you with preparedness tips and what you should do if this situation happens to you.
The University of Utah has been great at updating their site with graphs, information, and aftershock data like the one below:
curtesy of UofU Seismograph Station
Here is how to prepare for an earthquake if you live in areas commonly known to quiver and shake. It's better to be safe than sorry, and this article shows you how.
If you live near an active fault line, you must know how to prepare for an earthquake. When preparing yourself, you must understand that half of the preparations deal with behavior during the quake, and the rest is how to live after. Read this article if you want to arm yourself with information on how to keep yourself and your family safe during and after an earthquake.
Earthquake Appliance Preparation
Earthquakes often cause broken gas lines or dangerous situations with energy and heating/cooling. Make sure your gas and electric appliances are in tip-top working order at all times. Especially repair any gas leaks by hiring professionals. Stores sell flexible pipe fittings for water and gas lines. Make sure your appliances and pipework have these fittings to prevent breaking.
The most dangerous aspect of an earthquake is all the falling debris. Inside your home, you probably have many things that could hurt you if they fell over. Secure heavy appliances like the water heater, furnace, and refrigerator to the studs inside the wall, suggests FEMA in an article called, "Are You Ready?". Also, make sure you place heavy items on lower shelves.
In each room of your house, make sure each family member knows the safest location during an earthquake. Under a table, a sturdy door frame, or the inside corner of the wall make relatively safe locations if they are away from windows and potential falling objects.
Practice drills and help your family learn how to prepare for an earthquake by timing them in each room. Have children and adults rotate rooms, so they each get practice in every room of the house. Let everyone know that they should never go outside until the quake ends. This is when people get injured.
Emergency Kit
An earthquake emergency kit differs from a longterm disaster kit. Earthquake kits must be completely mobile and near you at all times. You should keep one at work and one handy at home. In this kit, include 12 dust masks, at least two candles, matches, toilet paper, safety pins, a small knife, cash, water, and a filtration straw. If you wrap the entire thing with a t-shirt and then a waterproof plastic bag, you'll be all set for a couple of days after an earthquake.
Although most people will never get injured during a quake, learning how to prepare for an earthquake protects you if the unthinkable occurs. Make sure each family member not only has their own emergency kit but also has knowledge of the safest places to go during an earthquake.
Here is a great PDF that was created to help you understand Earthquakes and what you should do. Download HERE.
Post a Comment