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EATHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS HANDBOOK State of California EDIS web page on earthquake info : http://edis.oes.ca.gov/library/post-eq/index.html EARTHQUAKE TIPS When you feel an earthquake, duck under a desk or sturdy table. Stay away from windows, bookcases, file cabinets, heavy mirrors, hanging plants, and other heavy objects that could fall. Watch out for falling plaster and ceiling tiles. Stay undercover until the shaking stops and hold onto your cover. If it moves, move with it. Here are some additional tips for specific locations:
AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE QUICK-CHECK LIST
INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY READINESS
HOME PREPAREDNESS
COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS
HOME AND OFFICE FIRST AID KITS
MEDICATIONS
MEDICAL MATERIALS
When organizing supplies for an earthquake, remember that you need to get to them after an earthquake has turned your house into mess. Store supplies in an easy to find location that has a minimal chance of being buried under falling objects. If you are short on space, a large trash can makes an excellent storage container. If you live in an apartment, the container can be hidden under a decorative tablecloth. Earthquakes can happen at any time. Are you prepared right now? Have you rotated your food supplies in the last six months? If not, make time on your calendar. Do it now!
KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT SAFEST PLACE IN THE HOME: During an earthquake, stay away from heavy furniture, appliances, large panes of glass, shelves holding heavy objects, and masonry veneer (such as the fireplace). These items tend to fall or break and can injure you. Usually, a hallway is one of the safest places if it is not crowded with objects. Kitchens and garages tend to be the most dangerous. Also, know the safest place in each room. It will be difficult to move from one place to another during a severe earthquake. EXITS AND ALTERNATIVE EXITS: Always know all the possible ways to exit your house and work place in emergency situations. Try to discover exits that would only be available to you in an emergency. LOCATION OF SHUTOFF VALVES: Know the location of the shutoff valves for water, gas, and electricity. Learn how to operate the valves. If you are not sure, contact your utility company. MAKE SPECIAL PROVISIONS ELDERLY, DISABLED, OR PERSONS UNDER MEDICATION: These people may have difficulty moving around after an earthquake. Plan to have someone help them to evacuate if necessary. Also, they may need special foods or medication. Be sure to store several days' supply of these special provisions. PERSONS WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH: People who cannot speak English often rely on their family or friends for information. If they are separated during an earthquake, they may need help. Prepare emergency information cards, written in English, indicating identification, address, and special needs. PETS: After an earthquake, you should be concerned with your own safety before taking care of your pets. Storing extra food and water for pets is always a good idea. Keep them in a secure place at home after an earthquake. If you are evacuated, they will not be allowed at the emergency shelter.
POLICE AND FIRE: Know the locations of the nearest police station. Be aware that local fire stations will probably be empty and locked up for days after a major earthquake. After a damaging earthquake, emergency shelters and temporary medical centers will be set up in your community. Contact your local and state Office of Emergency Services to find out the plans for your area. COMMUNITY PLANS: Know your neighbors and their skills. You may be able to help each other after an earthquake. Also know where to go to help your community after a disaster. It may be days before outside emergency assistance arrives. It is important to help each other. PLAN TO REUNITE: Make a plan on where and how to unite family members. Choose a person outside the immediate area to contact if family members are separated. Long distance phone service will probably be restored sooner than local service. Remember, don't use the phone immediately after an earthquake, and make local calls only for emergencies. PLAN RESPONSIBILITIES: There will be many things to take care of after an earthquake. Make a plan with your family, friends, and neighbors assigning specific responsibilities to each person. Remember that it may be difficult to get around after an earthquake, so each person's tasks should be related to where they may be. DEVELOP A MESSAGE DROP: You need to identify a secure location outside your home were family members can leave messages for each other. This way, if you're separated and unable to remain in your home, your family will know where to go to find you. You don't want to publicize that you are not at home. That is why this location should be secure and discrete. i.e. under a paving stone, inside a tin can, in the back yard, etc. Loss of safe drinking water can be deadly. Most people, with few exceptions, will start feeling the effects if they do without water for more than 36 hours. Dehydration occurs much quicker than starvation. Our bodies can tolerate the loss of food much better. With an ample water supply, starvation is delayed many days, even weeks. The water supply is vulnerable to the effects of a large earthquake. Contaminants can get into the drinking water supply through ruptures in the pipes, the mixing up of supply sediments, the adulteration of filtering system, etc. Do not take our water for granted. Plan ahead and store a sufficient supply for your family. HOW MUCH SHOULD I STORE? A good rule of thumb is: ONE GALLON PER PERSON PER DAY FOR 7 DAYS (MINIMUM). A three week supply of water is ideal. WATER SOURCES Bottled water from the store - one and two gallon sealed containers. NOTE: The one and 2 gallon containers that you purchase in your local store are not designed for long term storage and will begin to leak after about six months.
Any water that you make up yourself needs to be treated. If left untreated over time, it becomes contaminated with bacteria and algae.
Another source of water is the hot water heater. Every water heater has a drain valve near the bottom.
OTHER SOURCES OF WATER IN YOUR HOME
IF THE PURITY OF YOUR WATER SOURCE IS QUESTIONABLE, USE THE FOLLOWING METHODS TO MAKE THE WATER SAFE TO DRINK
Water that is dirty should first be strained through a coffee filter, cheese cloth or a paper towel to remove suspended matter. PORTABLE AUTO SURVIVAL KIT OK! You have prepared your home. What about when you are away from home? In your car or at work! Northern Californians spend a great deal of time in their vehicles. Our sprawling megalopolis necessitates the use of vehicles for even the simplest of errands. We also need to prepare ourselves while we are away from home. A portable survival kit kept in the car (and another kept in our office) will give us the ability to get along until we are able to return home. HERE IS A LIST OF ITEMS WHICH SHOULD BE KEPT IN YOUR CAR'S MOBILE SURVIVAL KIT:
PERSONAL SURVIVAL KIT AT WORK Your work place kit should be small and portable. Place it into a small day pack. You should be able to carry your supplies with you if your business is closed and you need to evacuate to another location. It should include:
USE THE CORRECT FIRE EXTINGUISHER Following a major earthquake, fire suppression and rescue resources will be completely overwhelmed. The correct use of a fire extinguisher in the early stages of a hostile fire could prevent a total loss. This is true for any fire, not just those caused by earthquakes. Virtually all fires are small at first and might easily be contained if the correct type of extinguisher is readily available and properly used. Fire extinguishers are the first line of defense against unfriendly fires, and should be installed in all homes and businesses. Selecting the correct extinguisher is important, both to insure suitability for the expected type of fire and to reduce damage to valuables from extinguishing agents. Using the wrong type of extinguisher can needlessly ruin your expensive computer, which gets blasted with over spray from a small fire in your office. SELECTING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER: Extinguishers are classified according to the type of fire for which they are suitable. The four basic classes are A, B, C and D. Class A: Ordinary combustibles such as wood, paper, cloth and most plastics. Extinguishers also have a numerical rating which serves as a guide to the amount of fire the extinguisher will handle. The minimum rating for a Class A extinguisher on light hazards is 2A. For Class B or C hazards, a rating of 10 is the minimum size recommended. Extinguishers which can handle several types of fires have combined ratings such as 2A:10BC. EXTINGUISHING AGENTS: There are five common groups of extinguishing agents. Choose one which will handle the correct class of fire while keeping damage at a minimum.
If an extinguisher is used, you still need to call the Fire Department and evacuate the area. Don't put yourself in a dangerous situation. Even if you do put out the fire, call us anyway. We will check to make sure that the fire is completely out. A small fire which appears to be out may actually be burning unseen inside a wall. It can travel up to the attic and turn into a blazing inferno with surprising speed. If you put out a fire following an earthquake, remain outside the structure until fire resources are available to check that the fire is completely out. FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHER OPERATION, REMEMBER: PASS
EARTHQUAKE EMERGENCY LIGHTING A common problem after an earthquake is finding your flashlight. Be sure all family members have a flashlight near their bed. An extremely valuable light source is the automatic power failure light. They cost $10 - $20 and plug into a wall socket. If the power fails, they automatically turn on. Carefully consider your family needs and do not lay short in the lighting department. Emergency lighting is critical for rescue and evacuation at night. DO NOT use matches or candles if there is any possibility of a gas leak, especially right after the quake. The following is a list of acceptable emergency light sources:
EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES AND COOKING Food is as important as water for post quake survival. Psychologists tell us people who have experienced a severe emotional trauma may give up on life and can even die from the depression which follows. Psychologically, a normal and healthy diet can lessen the emotional trauma of a disaster; therefore, we recommend that people store supplies for a disaster that are as close as possible to their normal fare. The food must be of a type that stores well. The minimum time that food should be able to last without refrigeration is six months. In the brief space here, it is difficult to give the information necessary to put together an emergency food storage program. The needs and tastes of individuals vary greatly. If you are smaller or larger than average person you may want to adjust what you store as compared with what is suggested. The information here is to give the person who wants to store emergency food supplies some ideas. IT IS NOT INTENDED AS A SHOPPING LIST OF THINGS TO BUY. In each of the categories there is more food listed than should be needed. Think about the tastes and needs of your family. ROTATING SUPPLIES Rotating supplies every SIX MONTHS is the key; not because everything will go bad in six months, but because you need to make rotating supplies part of your normal habits. The easiest way to remember to rotate is to change your supplies every time you change your clocks for "daylight savings time". Remember, when you ROTATE YOUR CLOCKS, you ROTATE YOUR SUPPLIES . (Also remember that this is the time to change your smoke detector batteries.) The easier it is for you to think about doing it, the more apt you are to do it continuously. When you rotate your supplies, don't throw them out, put them in the pantry and use them. Nothing has to go to waste. REMEMBER : Your supplies rotation should include but is not limited to, batteries, food, water, medications (prescribed and over the counter). Don't forget to check and shake that fire extinguisher while your at it. SAMPLE FOOD ITEMS You need to stockpile at least SEVEN DAYS WORTH OF SUPPLIES PER PERSON PLUS PETS . These supplies should be nonperishable with long shelf lives. They should also be stored in a cool, dry and dark place. Heat and moisture speed the spoilage of food. The following is a list of a few sample items. This is by no means the complete list of foods to stock. You should keep items that you and your family will eat. Try and select items that you use daily in your home. If your kids won't eat canned tuna before the earthquake they certainly will not eat it after. Try to plan as if you're going on a camping vacation for seven days, because this is essentially what you will be doing. Remember to consume what you have in your refrigerator first, then your freezer, then your stored goods. BEVERAGES
Include seasonings appropriate for the meals you choose to store. Spicy foods increase the consumption of fluids. SNACKS AND OTHER FOODS
COOKING AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE Cold food for three or more days is unappealing. You need to eat as normally as possible both for your physical as well as your mental health. Basically, you'll be on a camp-out for three or more days. Have the following available:
SHUTTING OFF UTILITIES There is no cost involved in teaching everyone in your home about how and when to turn off the gas, electricity, and water after an earthquake. This can be as simple as clearly marking where the shut-off valves are, and posting instructions close by. Below are some common examples of shut-off valves. Even if you have something different, (like a propane tank), the shut-off will be similar. If you cannot find the shut-off valves or you do not understand the valve system, call your local utility company or tank provider. Remember, consider shutting off utilities if you can smell gas, or see damage to, from, or near the utility lines. BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE
IF THE MAIN VALVE WILL NOT TURN 1/8 TURN, THEN CALL THE GAS COMPANY, AND THEY WILL COME OUT AND FIX OR REPLACE IT. GAS SHUT OFF
ELECTRICAL SHUT-OFF Locate the main electrical shut-off. Your house may be equipped with fuses or circuit breakers. If your house has fuses, you will find a knife switch handle or pullout fuse that should be marked "MAIN." If your house has circuit breakers, you may need to open the metal door of the breaker box to reveal the circuit breakers (never remove the metal cover). The main circuit breaker should be clearly marked showing on and off positions. Turn off all the small breakers first, then turn off the "main". If you have any sub panels adjacent to the main fuse or breaker panel, or in other parts of the house, in an emergency be safe and shut them off too. Shorts can sometimes develop to cause a circuit to bypass the breaker or fuse. Note: All responsible family members should be shown how to turn off utilities in case of an emergency. They need to know what the utilities look like in both on and off positions.
Locate the main water service pipe into your house (probably in the front at the basement level). You will see a gate valve on the pipe. If you know you have leaks after an earthquake, you can shut off all water in your house with this valve. You may wish to paint the valve so it is easy to find in an emergency. You can shut off all water to your property by finding the water meter box (usually at the street or sidewalk). Open the cover with a long screwdriver or specialty tool. If this box is inaccessible or you cannot find it, call your local water department. Be sure to identify this box and the water valve inside before the need to use them arises. Inside the water meter box, you will see a valve that is similar to the valve on your gas meter. Turn it just the same as your gas valve. AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE TURN OFF YOUR GAS METER AT THE SHUT OFF VALVE:
WARNING . . . If you smell gas don't turn on or off any switches. Don't use any open flame to check for leaks. Don't turn on any battery operated flashlights, unless they are safety rated waterproof lights. Chemical light sticks are a safe source of light in the event of a gas leak. SECURING HEAVY FURNISHINGS In California we are counseled by the experts not to run outside our buildings during an earthquake. This is because we are not as likely to see total structural failure as in other countries. Our wood frame homes generally do very well in earthquakes. Strict building codes reduce the risk of structural failure in our modern (post 1933) masonry buildings. Our greatest risk of injury during an earthquake is from nonstructural hazards. Falling decorative pieces, fixtures, and heavy furniture account for a large percentage of the injuries. Nonstructural hazard mitigation is one of the least expensive ways to decrease the incidence of injury. Here are a few of the identified hazards and some suggested solutions. WINDOW AND MIRROR GLASS: Sharp shards may fall or be thrown across a room. Consider safety glass, wire glass or solar/safety film. The solar/safety film has the advantage of improving the insulating factor of the window. The energy saving may pay for the cost of the film. There are cost free protective measures that you can use if the glass where you are is not the safety type. You can pull down and close shutters or draw drapes. Even blinds that are pulled down, but not closed, offer some additional protection from flying glass. For existing windows near beds, the best solution is to install solar/safety film. HEAVY FURNITURE: Furniture will move and fall during many types of disasters, especially tall, top heavy items. Secure the furniture to the wall. Use braided metal cable, chain, or angle brackets to secure all furniture to a wall anchor. Most often, a wall anchor is an appropriately sized eye screw. Be sure you screw wall anchors into a stud (A stud is the vertical 2" x 4" wood post that supports your wall; they are normally spaced at 16" intervals.) Use of an inexpensive electronic stud finder makes the job much easier with less damage to your walls. Screws should always be used, never nails. GAS APPLIANCES: Your stove, water heater, furnace, clothes dryer, etc. may run on natural gas or propane. Unsecured gas appliances may crush someone or rupture their gas feed line during a quake. If these objects move or topple, the resulting gas leak may destroy your home, a home which would otherwise have survived with only minor damage. Secure all gas appliances to a wall stud, and use flexible gas line. The flexible gas line should be longer than necessary to allow for some movement. The appliance should be secured top and bottom to prevent tipping, rolling and sliding. Use heavy plumber's tape or braided cable to secure your water heater to the studs in the wall. REFRIGERATORS: Refrigerators are extremely heavy, and most of them are on wheels. Because of their weight they may crush someone if they move and tip. Secure refrigerators, top and bottom, to ensure they remain in place and upright during any earth movement. Use plumber's tape (perforated metal strapping). Screw one end into a wall stud and fasten the other securely to a structural component of the refrigerator. Do not secure the tape to the coils in the rear of the box. These are made of lightweight material and will not support the weight of the unit. HANGING PICTURES, MIRRORS, CLOCKS, ETC. Anything simply hanging on a wall will come flying off in a large shake. Use an appropriately sized eye bolt and a hollow wall anchor for lighter items. Larger items will require an eye screw that is screwed into a wall stud. DECORATIVE ITEMS Unsecured objects will fall during a shock. Run a wire, mono filament fishing line, or guardrail across the shelf front. (The line/rail should be placed 1/3 the height of the shelf, from the bottom.) Objects can be secured in place with Velcro, two sided tape, or porcelain glue. Place large or heavy objects on the bottom shelf. Heavy items can be secured with industrial strength Velcro. CUPBOARD ITEMS Cupboards will open and spill their contents during a quake. Put heavy items on bottom shelves and use positive latches to prevent doors from opening. FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS Spilled flammable liquids may cause fire and destroy a home that would have survived undamaged. Store all flammable liquids outside, in their original/proper containers, away from structures and vehicles. If you must store flammable liquids in your home, store them in the garage, keep them in a locking cabinet with locking doors, and always store them on the lowest shelf. BEDS LOCATED NEAR WINDOWS All beds need to be "safe areas," where you can ride out an earthquake without injury. Falling window glass is a serious hazard. If a bed must be located under a window, have safety film installed. The cost is approximately $ 2.00 per square foot. The film will hold broken glass together so it will not rain down on your bed when shattered by a major earthquake. Window tinting companies can be found in the yellow pages. NON-STRUCTURAL HAZARD MITIGATION FOR BUSINESSES Good employees are your most valuable asset. Protect them with a safe working environment. EQUIPMENT AND FURNISHINGS Strap rows of multiple file cabinets, mainframes, book cases, etc., together. High racks should be secured together on top and to the floor on the bottom.
Seen and unseen objects overhead and above suspended ceilings may pose hazards to workers below. Secure all objects that are above desktop level.
Shock hazards exist if unsecured electrical equipment breaks its connection or exposes energized lines. Unsecured equipment may short out the power in your office building.
Loss of plant equipment may prevent you from continuing your business after a quake. Secure water heaters, furnaces, boilers, fans, pumps, heating, ventilating, air conditioning equipment, and the ducting or pipes that go with them. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Unsecured or improperly stored hazardous chemicals may force
Find out what your neighbors do. Their enterprise may put your business in jeopardy. You may need to plan for problems related to their potential problems. SECURING YOUR HOT WATER HEATER In order to prevent movement of your water heater during an earthquake, you need to secure it to the floor and the wall studs behind it. Movement by the water heater can cause gas or water lines to break, destroying a home that otherwise might have survived the earthquake. Also, ensure that your gas lines to your appliances are of current flexible designs. MARK THE WALL : Using a felt tip marker, mark the water heater six inches down from the top and four inches above the thermostat control valve. Transfer these marks to the wall behind the water heater. LOCATE THE STUDS: Locate and mark the studs in the wall behind the water heater, mark studs for 24 inches wider than the water heater. Inexpensive electronic stud finders are available at your local hardware store. Studs are placed 16" apart from center to center. START SECURING THE TOP STRIP OF PLUMBER'S TAPE: Start at the top of the tank. Identify the furthest stud that you are using and drill a 3/16" pilot hole into it. Use a 5/16" x 2 1/2" lag bolt, with a washer, to secure one end of a strip of plumber's tape to the wall. (Use the metal plumber's tape, do not use the new plastic plumber's tape.) SECURE THE PLUMBER'S TAPE TO AT LEAST TWO STUDS ON EACH SIDE OF THE TANK: Run the plumber's tape to the next stud and repeat the procedure. WRAP THE TAPE SO THAT IT COMPLETELY ENCIRCLES THE TANK : Wrap the plumber's tape around the tank. Start in the back and wrap the tape across the back, around to the front and then across the back again. This way the tape will form a loop. FINISH SECURING THE PLUMBER'S TAPE TO AT LEAST 2 MORE STUDS : Repeat the procedure for securing the tape to the wall stud. Be sure to keep the tape tight with no slack. REPEAT THE ENTIRE PROCEDURE FOR THE LOWER TANK STRAP : Repeat the entire procedure again at the bottom of the tank. PLACE A NONFLAMMABLE SPACER BEHIND THE TANK : This will prevent movement toward the wall. Secure the spacer to the wall studs. FINISH BY SECURING THE LEGS OF THE WATER HEATER TO THE FLOOR: Angle brackets to secure the legs of the water heater to the floor of the water heater to the floor of the water heater location. HELPING CHILDREN COPE Children may be especially upset and exhibit exaggerated emotions following the disaster. These reactions are normal and usually will not last long. LISTED BELOW ARE SOME PROBLEMS YOU MAY SEE IN YOUR CHILDREN:
ADULT COPING WITH DISASTERS Having just experienced the shock and pain of a disaster, you will be very busy for the next few days or weeks. Caring for your immediate needs, perhaps finding a new place to stay, planning for clean up and repairs, and filing claim forms may occupy the majority of your time. As the immediate shock wears off, you will start to rebuild and put your life back together. There are some normal reactions we may all experience as a result of a disaster. Generally, these feelings don't last long, but it is common to feel let down and resentful many months after the event. Some feelings or responses may not appear until weeks or even months after the disaster. Some common responses are:
Reread this periodically over the next few weeks and months. Being aware of your feelings and sharing them with others is an important part of recovery and feeling normal again soon. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS After a major disaster, most of our normal methods of communication will be interrupted. Telephones will be out, the mail won't be delivered (you may not have a home to deliver it to), or you may be isolated at work and unable to travel to your family. TELEPHONE COMMUNICATIONS Immediately after an earthquake, your phones will probably will not work. This could be because of damage to switching centers, local phone lines, and trunk lines. It could be that power to operate the phone system itself is unavailable. The number one cause of phone failures is too many phones off the hook at one time. A number will be off the hook because they were knocked over in the shock, but a larger number will be because everyone is trying to call friends and family. This overload can damage the phone companies switching system. To prevent this damage, whole sections will shut down automatically when a certain percentage of phones are off the hook. It's normal, after trouble, to want to check on your family, or let family know you're OK. But, we need to limit our calls if we want the system to work at all. The solution to this problem is to have out-of-state contact for all your family members. This way all your relatives and friends will not be tying up the phone lines trying to get you, and you them. Long distance lines do not go down from too many calls or phones falling off the hook. Another advantage is that if an earthquake shuts down the long distance lines, these lines will be one of the first lines returned to service. You will be able to reach someone out of state before you could reach someone next door. We also recommend that you go to a pay phone to make your calls. These lines will be put in service before When you reach your out-of-state contact KEEP IT SHORT, and quick. The phone system may go out again at any time. Give your condition and the condition of the family members you know about. Get information on members who are not with you. Tell them you'll call them to chat in a few days. Then say good-by, and hang up. |