For most of us, earthquakes are a novelty – if you feel them, it is something to talk about, maybe it even makes the evening news.

But if the environment is right, even a moderate earthquake could be devastating; here is how to make sure you know what to do!

How to Drop, Cover, and Hold

There are three things you do when you start to feel the first tremble of an earthquake:

DROP  –  COVER  –  HOLD!

This is something you practice.  It does not matter whether you are in your home, at school, at a shopping center or in a tall building.  You must initiate these three steps in order to protect yourself during an earthquake.   Practice makes perfect and, as a matter of fact, this is something we drilled monthly when I was a kid growing up in Seattle.

Specifically, when an earthquake strikes:

DROP — DROP down to the floor.

COVER — Take COVER under a sturdy piece of furniture. If that is not possible, seek COVER against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid danger spots near windows, hanging objects, mirrors, or tall furniture.

HOLD — If you take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, HOLD on to it and be prepared to move with it. HOLD the position until the ground stops shaking and it is safe to move.

Skills and Strategies for Earthquakes
Locate the safe places in each room of your home, workplace and/or school in advance. Walk around and inventory your options.  A safe place could be underneath a piece of furniture or against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you.

Practice drop, cover and hold on in each safe place. If you do not have sturdy furniture to hold on to, sit on the floor next to an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms.

Bolt and brace water heaters, furnaces, and gas appliances to wall studs.

Bolt bookcases, china cabinets, gun safes and other tall furniture to wall studs or to the floor.  Have heavy electronics like televisions bolted to a brace or a wall.

Hang heavy items, such as pictures and mirrors, away from beds, couches and anywhere people sleep or sit.

Install strong latches or bolts on cabinets. Large or heavy items should be closest to the floor.

Learn how to shut off the gas valves in your home and keep a wrench handy for that purpose.

Keep and maintain an emergency supplies kit in an easy to access location.

Learn CPR and take a first aid course at a local college or hospital.

Place all breakables on lower shelves. Put fasteners on drawers and cabinet doors so they can not slide open on their own.

Hold family earthquake drills. One of the best things you can do for everyone in your family is to practice how to handle an earthquake. The old “huddle in a doorway” advice is not good practice. Instead, learn how to drop and cover (see above).  This will keep you from getting hit by flying objects.  Teach all family members to get under the nearest sturdy object and hold on tight!

If you have children or a newborn in the home, make sure their sleeping area is safe. Keep hanging toys away from sleeping areas when you live in an area likely to be hit by an earthquake.  As a side note, be sure to have plenty of formula and diapers on hand.

Know where your important paperwork is located.  Better yet, have a copy stored in a second location such as a flash drive or a secure, fireproof safe. Some of the documents to have safely tucked away include:

Birth certificates
Recent photos of family members
Auto, boat or other vehicle license, registration and identification numbers
Social security and Medicare cards
Insurance policies
An inventory of furniture and valuables in the house, including a video of your home’s contents or photos
Will and Living Will

Tools and Supplies

In order to be fully prepared, there is an endless list of tools and supplies to keep on hand.  That said, at a bare minimum, consider the following items.

•    Flashlights, lanterns, and other forms of emergency lighting
•    Plenty of Batteries
•    Emergency radio
•    Work gloves
•    Paracord or other type of cordage
•    All-purpose Utility knife
•    Sturdy shoes and heavy socks
•    Utility shut-off tool
•    ABC fire extinguisher
•    A minimum of one week’s supply of food, water, and prescription drugs.  Two weeks is better.
•    First aid kit (try putting together your own like this one)
•    Spare eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, and other medical devices used by family members.
•    $100 cash in small bills
•    Amusements to keep family members occupied while you wait out the emergency. Keep a stock of coloring books, board games, and playing cards ready, as well as plenty of reading material.

What to Do During an Earthquake

If you are indoors:

•    Stay inside. Move under a desk or sturdy table and hold on to it. If it moves, move with it.  Stay away from windows, bookcases, refrigerators, heavy mirrors, hanging plants and other objects that could fall. Do not go outside until the shaking stops.
•    If you’re in the kitchen, move away from the refrigerator, stove, and overhead cupboards.

If you are outdoors:

•    If you are outdoors, move to a clear area away from trees, signs, buildings, or downed electrical wires and utility poles.   Also stay clear of windows or glass. Get away from buildings. Cover your head with your arms and protect your face from flying debris.

If you are in a downtown area:

•    If you are on a sidewalk near a tall building, get into a building’s doorway or lobby to protect yourself from falling bricks, glass and other debris.

If you are driving:

•    If you are driving, slowly pull over to the side of the road and stop. Avoid overpasses, power lines, and other hazards. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking stops.  Be sure to set your parking brake!

If you are in a wheelchair:

•    If you are in a wheelchair, stay in it. Move to safe cover if possible, lock your wheels and protect your head with your arms.
If you are in a stadium or theater or other public facilities:
•    If you are able, Drop, Cover, and Hold On.  Otherwise, do your best to protect your head and neck with your arms as best possible. Don’t try to leave until the shaking is over.  When facility staff indicates you to do so, follow their directions to evacuate the premises.

Regardless of where you are. it is important that you DO NOT try to get to a “safer place” or run outside while the ground is shaking.   Movement from one place to another will be very difficult and most earthquake-related injuries and deaths in the United States occur from falling or flying objects hitting you (TVs, lamps, glass, bookcases, etc.) than from collapsed buildings.

Recommendation:  Bug-In or Bug Out?

When an earthquake happens, it’s a pretty sure bet that it will be difficult to go anywhere. It is not even safe to try until the area has been secured and hazards cleared away. If you and your family are uninjured and your home is stable, you are safest staying where you are and relying on your preps to keep you safe and secure until it is okay to move.

If you or someone in your family is injured beyond what emergency first aid procedures can handle, or your home or building is damaged to the extent that it is not safe, do not hesitate to seek help. If you have to leave, take your bug-out-bag (or GO bag) with you and make sure to have a copy of your important paperwork with you (this is where a flash drive comes in handy).  Seek shelter with friends or relatives is they are in a safe area and you can get to them without putting yourself in harm’s way.  Otherwise, seek help from local shelters set up by the Red Cross, church organizations, senior centers, or other community organizations.

When the shaking and rattling from the earthquake subsides, check your home for signs of a gas or water leaks or an electrical short. If in doubt, turn off the utilities.

If you smell gas.  Leave.  Bug-out. Get out of dodge.  Although you will be more comfortable in your own home, safety risks comfort.  Always.

Follow up to a strong earthquake should include having your chimney inspected if you have a fireplace.  It is also a good idea to retain a qualified professional to ensure the sewer or septic lines have not suffered any damage and are functioning properly.

Worldwide, several hundred earthquakes happen each day – they just usually happen in remote areas or are of a very small magnitude, so no one feels them.

Given, however, that most building codes outside of earthquake danger zones are not geared towards earthquake preparedness, even a moderate earthquake could cause great damage.

That is why you must know what to do during and after any earthquake that causes damage; to learn more about earthquakes, check out Backdoor Survival.