If I say the word "earthquake," chances are the first word you associate, is "California." While there's a good reason for that, the truth is, earthquakes can happen anywhere in the United States.
Disclaimer: if you wear a tinfoil hat and don't believe anything the government says, you can stop reading now.
Second disclaimer: when I was a kid, for some reason I heard the word as "earthquick" which seemed to make sense because they happened so fast. It wasn't until I was 10 years old that my father finally had the nerve to correct me.
Still here? Awesome. If you are new to earthquakes, you may want to familiarize yourself with a few terms, or maybe read about some interesting earthquake facts. I don't want to get too much into that here, because it may be distracting.
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OK, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, earthquakes do mostly happen west of the Rocky Mountains, but there are dozens of states located around the country where an earthquake could still happen without any warning. Here in California, we are well-informed and ready for earthquakes, but the rest of the nation probably doesn't know if they live near a fault line, or have any idea how to prepare if one hits.
I promise you'll notice when it does. It'll be without the slightest warning. Forget all the wives tales you've ever heard. There is no way for scientists to predict one is coming. There is no such thing as a time of year when earthquakes are likelier. There is no such thing as "earthquake weather." The only thing that might be true, are the anecdotes of pets or livestock behaving strangely before an earthquake. My sister swears up and down her Siamese cat can predict earthquakes five to ten minutes in advance. I know better than to argue.
When it comes to earthquake preparedness, though, my sister is not such a flake. But then, my sister was born in raised in Los Angeles, and this stuff is old news to her. It may not be so old to you. If you know to look for potential hazards ahead of time and plan to reduce the danger associated with those hazards, not only will you reduce the chances of injury and death to you and your family, you'll also have a lot less mess to clean up.
Fasten all of your shelves to your walls by putting large and heavy items on the bottom shelves. All of your breakable china, glass and ceramic containers and doo-dads? Put those in low closed cabinets with latches. They won't have much room to move around and even less of a chance to fall on the floor and shatter. If they DO break, at least the mess will be contained and easier to clean later. You can read more about securing shelves in this handy article.
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Brace your overhead light fixtures, and see that all of your electrical wiring is secure and has no shorts, and that your gas connection is sturdy and has no leaks.
You'll need an emergency kit on hand as well, with at least 3 days of food and water per person, a flashlight, batteries, a portable radio, a first aid kit, and special items for pets, infants, the elderly and people with special needs. I'd also toss in a few aspirin, a few days of any prescription meds you normally use, some sanitary wipes, a toothbrush, tootpaste, a deck of cards and a pack of cigarettes, but that's me. You'll want one in your car, and maybe even at school or work. If this seems like too much fuss, or you don't know where to start, read our article on buying an emergency kit. It's also much more compact to get a ready-made one since they stick the water in those little Capri-Sun style bags.
You and your family will need some kind of family disaster plan, since you'll likely not all be in the same place at the same time. You can designate some faraway relative everyone knows to call and check in with. Otherwise, you can use a a service like Notify to make disaster communication more efficient.
Everyone should know how to shut off the gas, water and electricity as well in the event of a quake. Everyone should know how and when to call 911, and where to tune the radio. Most importantly, your family should have an evacuation plan in place to get out of the home for any reason. Aftershocks are almost a certainty and if a building is damaged, you don't want to be around.
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What To Do
The scope of what to do in the event of an earthquake is beyond the scope of this article (this one covers it all), but in summary: drop, cover and hold on. Safe places are sturdy places, away from any glass, such as under sturdy furniture. In the past, it was often advised to stay under a door frame, but this is generally true only for older buildings. Stay still until the shaking stops, then it's safe to go out. If you are outside when it happens, get away from elevated roads, overpasses, bridges, trees, buildings and power lines (in short, anything that can fall on you). If you are driving, stay in your car, slow down, and get to a clear place. Do not drive on any bridges or elevated areas!
Expect aftershocks, which can happen hours, days or weeks after. While they are smaller, they can be enough to bring down already damaged structures. As soon as it is over, try to help injured or trapped people. Call for help if you need to! It's good to assess damage right after. You'll need to be on the lookout for leaking gas and dangerous liquids, such as bleach or gasoline. Unnoticed damage can lead to fires, so be sure to take a good look around.
Help injured or trapped persons. Give first aid where appropriate and do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury. Call for help. Remember that infants, elderly, and people with disabilities need special assistance.
Be cautious after an earthquake. Stay out of damaged buildings especially if due to aftershocks. Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, or gasoline or other flammable liquids immediately. Leave the area if you smell gas or fumes from the chemicals. Open closet and cupboard doors carefully - items will have shifted during the quake. Inspect your entire house for gas leaks, electrical system damage, and sewage and water line damage. Unnoticed damage could lead to a fire. For more about recovery from an earthquake, read this in-depth article.
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