Earthquake

Seconds of shaking, then days of disruption — the scenario where preparation is decided long before it starts.

Plan for 72 hours minimum, 14 days if you live near a major fault

What to expect

Shaking lasts seconds to a couple of minutes, but the aftermath runs for days. Expect power, gas and water interruptions, damaged roads and bridges, phone networks that overload within minutes, and aftershocks that continue for weeks.

Most injuries in an earthquake happen from falling objects and broken glass, not collapsing buildings. The practical problems come afterwards: no water pressure, no refrigeration, no way to boil water, and shops that cannot open.

In cold climates, the risk compounds — a damaged house without heat in winter becomes a shelter problem within hours, not days.

Primary risks

Falling furniture, televisions and unsecured bookcases
Broken glass in bedrooms and hallways
Gas leaks and the fire risk that follows
Loss of water pressure across a whole city
Overloaded phone networks in the first hour
Aftershocks bringing down already-weakened structures

What to prepare beforehand

01Anchor tall furniture and the water heater to walls, and move heavy items to lower shelves
02Keep closed shoes, a torch and a helmet beside each bed — most glass injuries happen barefoot at night
03Learn how to shut off gas and water, and keep the tools where the valves are
04Store 14 days of water if you are in a seismic zone, not 72 hours
05Agree an out-of-area contact and a meeting point in writing

Household checklist

Earthquake checklist

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Household checklist

Supplies that change the outcome

Generators must only run outdoors, well away from doors, windows and vents. Never run one in a home, garage or attached shed. Connection to home wiring requires a licensed electrician and a proper transfer switch.

Aceup Energy 4000W Portable Gas Inverter Generator

Optional / Upgrade

Best for Households needing to run several essentials at once

Aceup Energy 4000W Portable Gas Inverter Generator

A higher-output 4000W inverter generator for running more of the home at once — fridge, freezer, lights and a well pump in sequence. Quiet enough for residential use.

Type: Gas inverter generator
Peak watts: 4000W
Engine: 149cc 4-stroke

Enough power for multiple appliances
Quiet for residential use
Gasoline only

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

Portable Power Stations

Optional / Upgrade

Best for Long outages where daily solar recharging matters

Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 with 400 W Solar Panel

Anker SOLIX · C1000 Gen 2 + 400 W panel

A 1,024 Wh LiFePO4 power station bundled with a 400 W folding solar panel, so stored power can be topped up daily in a longer outage.

Capacity: 1,024 Wh
Battery: LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles to 80%
AC output: 2,000 W continuous / 3,000 W peak

Solar panel included, ready for multi-day outages
Lightest 1 kWh-class unit in our picks
Solar output drops sharply in short, overcast winter days

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

Portable Power Stations

Recommended

Best for Keeping a fridge running through a day-long outage

EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus Portable Power Station

EcoFlow · DELTA 3 Plus

About 1 kWh of LiFePO4 storage with the output to handle a fridge compressor at start-up, and room to expand with extra batteries.

Capacity: 1,024 Wh
Battery: LiFePO4, 4,000 cycles to 80%
AC output: 1,800 W continuous / 3,600 W surge

Surge headroom for a fridge compressor
Expandable as your plan grows
Heaviest of our three picks at 12.5 kg

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Full spec sheet

Emergency Water Storage Container (29 Gallon / 110L)

Recommended

Best for A household building a serious emergency water reserve

Emergency Water Storage Container (29 Gallon / 110L)

A 29-gallon (110L) emergency water storage container built for preparedness — enough stored water to cover a household for several days. The large-capacity pick for serious home storage.

Capacity: 29 gallon / 110L
Type: Emergency water storage container
Use: Home emergency storage

Holds enough for a household for days
Built for long-term storage, not just camping
Heaviest and most expensive storage option

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Full spec sheet

High Capacity Emergency Survival Water Straws (5-Pack)

Recommended

Best for Equipping a whole household with personal filters

High Capacity Emergency Survival Water Straws (5-Pack)

A 5-pack of reusable, high-capacity survival water filter straws with a long lifespan and no expiration date. The family pack — one filter per person for a household or group.

Pack: 5 straws
Type: Personal filter straws
Use: Family / group emergency

Covers a whole family in one purchase
No expiration date — store indefinitely
Higher upfront cost than a single straw

Check price on Amazon

Full spec sheet

Portable Power Stations

Essential

Best for Essentials: router, lights, phones and a laptop

Jackery Explorer 500 v2 Portable Power Station

Jackery · Explorer 500 v2

A 512 Wh LiFePO4 power station light enough for one person to carry between rooms. Covers the router, lights, phones and a laptop through a typical outage.

Capacity: 512 Wh
Battery: LiFePO4, 6,000 cycles (manufacturer figure)
AC output: 500 W continuous / 1,000 W surge