Fast, easy, cheap earthquake preparedness

Here are some of the fastest, easiest, cheapest (but still important) things to do.

Consider doing these today:

Buy flashlights, spare batteries and bulbs. Put a flashlight by each person's bed, and in each glove compartment.

Shoes by each person's bed as broken glass will be everywhere after the quake. Start making it a habit to put them on before your feet hit the floor. (During the quake stay in bed with your pillow over your head until the shaking stops, then put on the shoes).

Make it a habit to carry with you a five day to one week supply of all medications that you take regularly. That includes heart, blood pressure, allergy or diabetes prescriptions, birth control pills, HRT, anything you depend on every day.

Evacuation plan, and find a place in each room to take cover, two exits from each room. Where in each room would be the safest place to hide during the quake until the shaking stops? As the Red Cross teaches: "Practice DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON. Drop under a sturdy desk or table, hold on, and protect your eyes by covering your face with your arm. If there’s no table or desk nearby, sit on the floor against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases, or tall furniture that could fall on you."

Evacuation plan from the neighborhood. Where will you meet if the area is on fire or otherwise unsafe to be in? Pick a nearby and farther away place.

Move the bed away from the window; take down pictures, mirrors over the head of the bed and couches.

Move delicate objects to lower shelves. Move pet cages as necessary.

Pesticides, pool cleaners, etc. should not be IN your house. Store all cleaners, chemicals with hazards in mind. They should all be on a floor level shelf so any earthquake shaking motion will affect them less. The shelf, cabinet or shelves should be anchored to the wall with some type of restraint across the front of the shelf to prevent bottles from falling. Read hazardous household chemical mixtures

Designate an out of the area, long distance phone contact that family and friends, even co-workers, can check in with to tell where and how they are. Then everyone can check in with this person and get updates on everyone else instead of the whole world calling you. (Almost all local phone lines, including cellular, will be jammed within minutes.)

Make a mini phone list for your wallet with that contact number and any other majorly important numbers.

Do you have recent photos of your family and pets?

Do these in the next few days, weeks:

Tour the house, including the crawl space, looking for problems and write a list of plans/priorities for the next month. Use the earthquake home hazards survey

Start video taping and photographing the house and valuables.

Take the

How safe is your home from fire? quiz at:

Home Fire Safety Checklist

Make an appointment to get your vaccinations (especially tetanus), and pet vaccinations up to date.

Earthquake and pets advice (Consider having the vet 'microchip' your pets, and more...) ( Wouldn't it be easier to transport your cat in a real carrier s/he is used to than in a pillowcase?

At work: flashlight, comfy walking shoes/socks to replace those stylish ones, work gloves, snacks, manual can opener, water bottle, etc.

Register for a first aid and/or CPR class.

Locate that crescent wrench.

Start storing water as appropriate containers become empty. (See also Store water for after an earthquake).

Read: Helping Children Cope With Disaster and take the kids to FEMA for kids, with lots of fun learning tools.

Buy a water-filtering pump, polypropylene longjohns for warmth when the power is out and fire extinguisher(s).

Check that where you use extension cords they are the same diameter as (or bigger than) the cord coming from the appliance. Replace as needed. No cords under rugs, carpeting.

Pack a bag to escape from the house with during a fire or earthquake. Since you will not want to take the time to get properly dressed if the smoke alarm is going off and the bedroom door feels hot to the back of your hand, you will need clothes (and warm clothes and rain gear in season) to put on out in the yard after you escape! Also in the bag, flashlights, first aid kit, spare glasses so you don't feel the need to look for them on your way out.

Make up the list of important phone numbers for next to the home and work phones, and list of emergency #s for the cell phone.

Find pet-friendly hotels for possible relocation.

Start locating and copying important documents.

Stock up on food, especially easy to eat, high quality snacks. Make having extras a habit. (see:Disaster Supplies)

Make it a habit to keep at least a third of a tank of gas in your vehicle, not just in preparation for an earthquake, but during the winter storm season, so you will be able to get where you are going when the power is out and the gas stations can't pump.

Mark a calendar to practice evacuations plans, check smoke alarms, etc. every six months.

Fill empty space in the freezer with bottles of water (add only one a day so you won't melt the existing food).

Find out where the nearest pay phones are. They are often on a different system than house phones.

Learn how to use the manual release lever on the electric garage door opener.

Find the battery operated radio and get more batteries for it, or get a solar/handcrank radio.

Details about some of the above topics are at: Disaster planning

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It can be worthwhile to use preparing for an earthquake as an excuse to get to know neighbors better or to get to know neighbors you may not have met yet.

Do neighbors have skills such as medical, technical, carpentry? Do they have special 'tools', such as chain saws or a T.V in a motorhome to watch footage of the quake on, or a ham radio? Consider how you would help those with special needs, such as elderly or disabled. Can you volunteer to help take care of kids who may be on their own if parents can't get home?

From the Red Cross: "Nationally, polls show that only about one in every 14 people have taken the necessary measures to prepare for a disaster.

Perceptions are partly to blame -- perceptions that disasters can be avoided easily and pose minimal risk to any single person. Another factor is complacency, which has several causes. Some of the complacency toward earthquakes stems from the fact that California is prone to temblors, and over time most residents become indifferent to warnings about them. In addition, many people believe that some level of risk is unavoidable, so they feel less motivated to prepare for unexpected emergencies."

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earthquake home hazards survey

Disaster planning

You can find detailed maps (with zoom in capability) of potential road closures, risk of liqufaction and flooding, such as this map of potential road closures in Santa Clara County after a San Andreas fault 7.2 quake,

at the ABAG link at: Earthquake information sources

Earthquake and pets advice

Disaster Supplies

Store water for after an earthquake

Babysitter Consent and Contact Form

hazardous household chemical mixtures

Home Fire Safety Checklist