Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Make a contingency plan
• Method 2 of 3: Prepare an emergency kit
• Method 3 of 3: How to Prepare Your Home and Prevent Potential Damage
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

An earthquake can cause serious damage, and earthquakes are often strong, especially in the Kamchatka region. After an earthquake, your home may be damaged and you may not have access to water or electricity. Prepare for an earthquake to minimize damage and avoid personal injury inside and outside the home.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Make a contingency plan

1. 1 Create an emergency plan for your home or work. Know what you and your family will need to do before an earthquake. Make a plan together and reread it from time to time. The most important thing is to know what to do the moment the earthquake starts.
   • Find safe hiding spots in the building. You can hide under a stable table or in secure doorways. If there is no other cover, lie on the floor next to the inner wall and cover your head and neck with your hands. Keep away from large pieces of furniture, mirrors, outside walls and windows, kitchen cabinets, and any loose heavy objects.
   • Teach everyone to signal for help if they enter a confined space. In the event of a building collapse, rescuers will follow the sound. Knock three times in a row or blow your whistle if you have one.
   • Rehearse the actions until you can do them without thinking. Try to exercise more often - in an earthquake you will have only a few seconds to make a decision.
2. 2 Practice falling to the floor, taking cover, and holding on until these actions become automatic. In the face of an earthquake, this is the only way to protect yourself.Get down to the floor, hide under a stable table and hold on tight. Be prepared for objects to wobble and fall. Practice doing this in every room so you know where the safest places are.
   • If you are outdoors, move to an open area away from structures that may fall or collapse (eg buildings, light towers). Get down to the ground and cover your head from falling objects. Stay there until the quake is over.
3. 3 Learn the basics of first aid and learn how to do artificial respiration, or make sure someone in your family knows what to do. You can learn this on your own or in special courses. There are classes that teach you what to do in case of various injuries.
   • If you can't take courses, buy first aid books and put them next to the medicine cabinet. A first aid kit at home is a useful thing.
4. 4 Choose a post-earthquake collection site for your family. The location should be away from buildings. Discuss what you will do if not everyone makes it to the meeting point. If your city has dedicated meeting points, tell all family members where the locations closest to home, school, and work are located.
   • Choose someone you can all contact in case of problems. If you cannot call family members, you will need someone (for example, an uncle who lives in another city) who can coordinate your actions. Use walkie-talkies as telephone networks become congested during natural disasters. Some radios have long-range action.
5. 5 Learn to block communications in the house, especially gas. Damage to the gas pipe can cause flammable gas to escape and cause a violent explosion. Learn to block communications so that in the event of a leak, you can quickly fix the problem.
6. 6 Make a contact list in case of an emergency. List all people in your home or office. You need to know who is responsible for what and how to contact people if you cannot find them. In addition to basic contact information, it is also helpful to include an additional number for each person. Write down:
   • the names and phone numbers of neighbors;
   • the name and telephone number of the owner of the building;
   • important medical information;
   • numbers of ambulance, police, fire department and insurance company.
7. 7 Try to think of a route to return home after the earthquake. It is impossible to predict where you will be when an earthquake strikes: at work, at school, on the bus or on the train. However, you need to figure out which routes you can take to get home, as roads and bridges are likely to be closed for a long time. Pay attention to potentially dangerous structures (for example, bridges) and look for a path that goes away from them.

Method 2 of 3: Prepare an emergency kit

1. 1 Assemble your emergency kit in advance and make sure all family members know where everything lies. An earthquake can cause people to be walled up in their home for several days in a row, so you should have everything you need with you.
   • If you have a large house or family (more than 4-5 people), prepare additional kits and place them in different parts of the house.
2. 2 Buy a supply of food and water for at least three days. You should have at least 4 liters of water for each person and a few more liters as a last resort. Place a manual can opener in the kit. You can buy any non-perishable food:
   • canned food (fruits, vegetables, beans, tuna);
   • ready-made crackers and savory snacks;
   • food for hiking.
3. 3 Buy a wind-up or solar-powered torch and a radio. You can buy a regular flashlight and spare batteries. Ideally, each family member should have their own flashlight. Also buy a battery-operated portable radio. There are solar-powered models and kinetic radios.With such devices, you don't have to worry about batteries.
   • Buy glow sticks, matches and candles just in case.
4. 4 Collect first aid kit. A first aid kit is one of the most important elements of an emergency kit. The first aid kit must contain the following things:
   • bandage and gauze;
   • antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes;
   • pain relievers;
   • a broad spectrum antibiotic in tablets;
   • a remedy for diarrhea (necessary to prevent dehydration);
   • scissors;
   • gloves and masks;
   • needle and thread;
   • splint material;
   • compression bandage;
   • drugs that a person usually takes with a valid expiration date;
   • tablets for water purification.
5. 5 Assemble a kit that will allow you to get out of the house when needed. You may need to help rescuers or move the wreckage that blocks the exit from the house. You must have:
   • keys for gas pipes;
   • heavy hammer;
   • work gloves;
   • scrap;
   • fire extinguisher;
   • rope-ladder.
6. 6 Stock up on other items to keep you comfortable. All of the above will allow you to survive for a few days, but if you have the opportunity, buy the following items to make you more comfortable with the earthquake:
   • pillows and blankets;
   • closed shoes;
   • plastic bags;
   • disposable dishes and appliances;
   • cash;
   • toiletries;
   • games, cards, children's favorite toys, paper and pen;
   • a device that scans the space (will help you understand what is happening around and notice the rescuers).

Method 3 of 3: How to Prepare Your Home and Prevent Potential Damage

1. 1 Secure large items to walls and floors. Some items in your home can pose an earthquake hazard and should be dealt with in advance. The main danger is falling objects. Fortunately, the consequences can be avoided. For this:
   • Anchor all shelves securely to the walls.
   • Attach all cabinets, bookcases, and other tall pieces of furniture to the wall. Normal steel mounts will do (easy to handle).
   • Place large and heavy items on the lower shelves or on the floor. They can fall during an earthquake, so the less distance they fly, the better. It is also possible to screw some objects onto surfaces (for example, to a work table).
   • Place items with a low center of gravity on non-slip rugs. Place the aquarium, vases, flower arrangements, figurines, and more in this way.
   • Long, heavy objects that can tip over can be secured with nylon line to the wall. Insert a screw into the wall, wrap an object (such as a vase) with string, and secure the end to the screw.
2. 2 Glue the film to the windows to prevent the debris from scattering. If you did not have time to do this, fasten the mounting tape on the windows in a diagonal crosswise manner. In many regions with high seismic activity, film is a must.
3. 3 Place breakable items (bottles, glass, porcelain) in cabinets with doors that lock with a latch. Close the doors so that they do not open when knocked. Attach Christmas decorations, figurines, and utensils to the shelves using double-sided tape or plasticine.
   • There are special means for fixing objects.
4. 4 Remove or secure items over chairs and beds. Hang heavy paintings, light jewelry, and mirrors away from beds, sofas, and places where people might sit. Regular hooks will not hold paintings during an earthquake, but they can be improved. Use special fasteners or place special substance between the hook and its base. You can buy special museum mounts. Make sure heavy paintings hang from secure hooks and cables.
5. 5 Ask the landlord or builder if your home is adequately protected from earthquakes. If there are deep cracks in the ceiling or foundation, they should be repaired as soon as possible.If you notice signs of structural vulnerability, discuss it with a specialist. The foundation must be reliable, and the house must meet all the requirements for construction in seismically active areas.
   • Secure the gas pipes with flexible fittings. This should be assigned to a specialist. You can also install flexible fittings on the water pipes at the same time.
   • If the house has a chimney, secure it to the walls of the house with galvanized metal corners and rubber bands at the top, along the ceiling and below. The corners can be attached to the wall and to the ceiling joist if you have one. The part of the chimney that goes out to the roof must be attached to the roof.
   • Check the condition of electrical wiring, electrical appliances and gas pipe connections. Repair them as needed. In the event of an earthquake, loose fasteners and wiring can cause a fire. When securing electrical appliances, do not drill holes in them. Use existing holes or make leather bindings and glue to the surface.
6. 6 Work with people in your city. Plan collection points, conduct classes, and arrange support group meetings. If there are no activists in your city who would do this, do it yourself. The first step in solving a problem is informing people.

Tips

• Read articles on wikiHow on how to survive an earthquake, behave indoors during an earthquake, and act during an earthquake. It is also important to know how you can prepare for natural disasters.
• Make sure the gas pipes are screwed tightly. Don't turn on the light after the earthquake.
• If possible, do not live along geological faults and large mountains in regions with high seismic activity. In the event of an earthquake, houses near these hazards are more destroyed. In addition, if during an earthquake you need to leave, it will be difficult for you to return home.
• If you do not know how to make a repair, or cannot do it yourself, get help. Ask neighbors, relatives, or hire professionals to fix everything you need in your home at a reasonable cost. It is better to entrust the wiring and pipes to trusted specialists.
• Keep shoes, a torch, and an energy bar under your bed. The same things should be kept near the desktop at work or school. Keep a comfortable pair of shoes at work.

Warnings

• If you have an animal, look for unusual behavior. The pet can constantly walk around the house, run, hide and refuse to go out.
• Do not leave your home until after the earthquake. Wait for the tremors to stop.

What do you need

• Plastic putty. You can buy it at a building materials store, stationery store, and supermarket. Some art stores and galleries also stock this material.
• Non-slip rugs. You can buy them at a hardware store.
• Mounts for walls and furniture, brackets
• Flashlight with spare batteries
• First aid kit
• A two-week supply of non-perishable food and water for each family member
• Portable radio with spare batteries
• Clothing (minimum 3-5 days)
• Entertainment that does not require electricity (board games, books)
• Emergency and shelter phone numbers, if the phone will work
• Emergency kit