Emergency supplies (detailed below)

An emergency plan

A clear head

An afternoon to shop for emergency supplies and assemble them into a kit.

A few evenings to learn CPR, or basic first aid skills.

A half hour to form an emergency plan for the family.

Look into earthquake insurance if you are in a particularly precarious zone; understand, however, that recent legislation has somewhat slashed the benefits in many states.

2torial #0558: Learn2 Prepare for an Earthquake Whole lotta shakin' goin' on! If a serious earthquake occurs near your home, or where you're visiting, there's a good chance that you're not going to be able to shop, communicate or move about normally. If you and your family want to be as safe as possible, here's what you'll need to do before anything happens, during the earthquake, and during the aftermath. Before the Earthquake This 2torial will present some general strategies for preparing for earthquakes. Keep in mind that not all earthquakes are serious: a little ground shaking is a part of life in many regions, and nothing to worry about. The experience of a more serious earthquake, however, can be frightening and disorienting. For that reason it's important to be very familiar with safety procedures. That way, when the earthquake happens, you'll simply follow the procedures instead of panicking. Some prior planning and practice will help you stay calm: this factor more than any of the others will likely improve your situation. Make your home or office earthquake-ready During an earthquake, certain objects in your home seem to have minds of their own: Your water heater, for instance, wants to topple over and sever its gas and water connections. To prevent that from happening, secure your unit to the wall. Use galvanized steel straps, with holes punched through the length of them, and screw them to the wall.   Any object on shelves will try to jump off, and the cabinetry itself may collapse. Keep them against the wall with screws or brackets near the top of the unit. Don't put flammable materials anywhere but on the bottom shelf. Learn how to shut off your own gas, water and electricity. If any connections break inside the house, or even where they enter the house, you have a problem. Your local utilities office will help you find the valves for gas and water, and they'll also warn you not to try to turn them off unless you're certain that a break has occured. Circuit breakers are generally in the basement, or under the stairs. Find yours before an emergency arises. Collect emergency supplies Emergency kits are one of those items that nobody pays much attention to until there's an emergency. If you want to avoid the unruly mob down at the local supermarket (which might not want to open after an earthquake), put one together now. Make sure that everyone knows where the kit is located. Put it in an easily accessible area (the garage is good), rather than buried in a bedroom closet. Also, consider preparing a smaller version to store in your car trunk. Your kit should contain as many of the following as possible: A battery-operated radio and flashlight, with spare batteries.   Candles and matches   A fire extinguisher   One gallon of bottled water, per person per day, for 5 days. Store in air-tight containers, away from gasoline or other petroleum products. Change every six months (when you change the clocks for daylight savings. Keep some disinfectant with it (e.g., iodine tablets--read manufacturer's instructions) in case the water becomes unsanitary.   Non-perishable food that does not need cooking or additional water.   A multiple tool knife with can opener.   Extra blankets and heavy clothing, including rubber-soled shoes and workgloves.   A first aid kit, with essential prescription medications and sunscreen added to it.   Pipe and crescent wrenches to turn off gas and water mains.   A shovel and toilet paper-- Sewer lines may have been disrupted during the earthquake. Avoid flushing the toilet and risking futher contamination of the groundwater.   Money: $30-$100 in cash, depending on the size of household. Learn emergency procedures Question: if all this happened tonight, would your family know what to do? Perhaps one person is out of the house, how would they let the rest of you know that they're all right? Where would all of you meet to count heads? Emergency plans don't have to scare anyone, and they're pretty simple to write down and put on the refrigerator. Some important points would be to:   Select an out-of-town relative or friend to be your contact person. When seperated, family members can call this person to report their safety, or to leave messages.   Conduct practice drills with all family members, and making sure everyone knows which areas of your house and property are "safer" than others (see Step 4).   Choose a place to meet following the earthquake. And picture this: could there be a worse feeling than seeing someone you know injured, and not knowing what to do? Consider earning CPR and basic first aid. Red Cross offices or your local city hall will point you towards training programs. YMCAs and YWCAs are also good places to find information. The courses don't take long and are often scheduled in the evenings or on weekends. During the earthquake: Find a safe place Indoors: take as few steps as possible to a "safer" area. These include inside corners of rooms (with walls that don't face outside), under doorframes and under sturdy furniture. Stay away from windows, bookcases and shelving that could fall on you. And use stairs, not elevators! Outdoors: get into an open area away from trees, buildings and power lines. While driving: pull over, and stay inside your car until the shaking stops. Don't trust overpasses and bridges to be safe after a major shock After the earthquake: Cover the necessities Be prepared for aftershocks. They'll happen, and they'll scare someone near you. Calming those people will help keep you calm. First check for yourself for injuries, then check others. Give first aid if you know it, but don't move seriously injured people unless they're in immediate danger.   Do you smell natural gas (not gasoline) at any gas appliance, including your water heater? If so, your gas line may have ruptured. This situation requires immediate and calm action. Open all windows and doors, turn off the valve, and notify the utilities. Do not shut off the gas line unnecessarily (i.e. if there's no gas smell)--it may take weeks to restore service.   Check for water leaks and electrical systems damage. For the electrical, check for frayed wires, sparks, or the smell of hot insulation. If a utility line breaks, turn off the circuit breaker or water valve.   Check your house for structural damage: cracks on the roof, chimney or foundation are signs of possible serious damage. Your house may not be safe during an aftershock. If so, seek out alternative temporary shelter.   Turn on your battery powered radio for instructions and news.   If running water is available (and your gas line is OK), boil that water at least 10 minutes until your local water supply is declared safe. Emergency water can be found inside a toilet tank (not the bowl), or reclaimed from melted ice cubes. Canned vegetables are often packed in water.   Keep the streets clear for emergency vehicles; avoid driving just to have a look around. This is not the time to go sightseeing.   Keep the phone lines clear as well, except to report emergencies. -end- Learn More!