Earthquake Preparedness: Before, During and After

Earthquakes are unusual among emergencies because the dangerous part is measured in seconds, and almost everything that reduces harm happens months earlier.

Before: make the house safer

The research is consistent — most injuries come from falling objects and broken glass. A weekend of anchoring does more than any purchase.

• Strap tall bookcases, dressers and televisions to wall studs
• Secure the water heater with strapping
• Move heavy items to lower shelves
• Keep closed shoes, a torch and a helmet beside each bed — most glass injuries happen barefoot at night, in the dark
• Learn where the gas and water shut-offs are, and keep the wrench beside them

During: ninety seconds

Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on. Stay away from windows and tall furniture. Outdoors, move to open ground away from buildings and power lines. In a vehicle, pull over away from bridges and overhead wires and stay inside.

After: the first 72 hours

This is where a household either copes or improvises badly.

Smell gas — never look for it with a flame. If you smell it, leave, leave the door open, and call the utility from outside. Torches only, no matches and no candles.

Expect aftershocks and treat each one as a new earthquake. Check on neighbours, especially anyone living alone. Do not use the toilet until you know the sewer line is intact.

Keep phones for text. Voice networks overload within minutes, and text messages get through congested networks far more often.

What you will actually reach for

Three items cover most of the first day: a torch and radio, a multi-tool for the small mechanical problems that appear everywhere, and a stocked first aid kit for the cuts and sprains that follow.

A kit treats minor injuries. Know the warning signs that mean emergency care — uncontrolled bleeding, a head injury with confusion, difficulty breathing — and do not wait to use it.

Water is the long problem

Mains pressure in a seismic zone fails across a whole city, not just your block. If you live near a major fault, store 14 days of water rather than 72 hours, and add a filter so you are not limited by what you stored.

Finally: photograph your home, receipts and documents before anything happens. After an earthquake, insurance claims are decided by what you can prove.