In recognition of the anniversary of the 1964 earthquake, I thought it would be important to write a bit about earthquake preparedness. Given the fact that Alaska is a very earthquake prone state, that many of my family members were in Valdez during the ‘64 quake, and the fact that we just had a 5.4 magnitude quake near us a few days ago, I decided there’s no time like the present to write this post and share with you all some items and ideas you can use to prepare for an earthquake or other natural disasters.
How can I prepare for an earthquake?
As with many natural disasters, earthquakes are hard to prepare for. Their timing and strength are unpredictable, and so is their aftermath. There are things you can do, though, to be as prepared as possible for when the next one comes, such as anticipating that one will come and preparing and purchasing gear for it.
There are some ways you can prepare the things around you for the next quake. One of those is to keep your vehicle at least half full with fuel at all times. If you need to leave the area but don’t have enough fuel, chances are you may not be able to get more. If an earthquake is bad enough, pumps may be shut off or not working. And if people can get fuel you can guarantee there will be a lineup of vehicles waiting to fuel up. Keeping enough fuel in your vehicle can help you avoid being stuck in that line.
As far as your home goes, there are some things you can do to prepare it for an earthquake. I’ve been through a few decent shakers. Thankfully, I haven’t had any major property damage in them, which isn’t always the case. Obviously, if an earthquake is big enough, it won’t matter a great deal how you prepare your home, but for smaller quakes these tips can help protect your family and belongings.
It’s best to secure bookcases, TVs, and taller furniture safely to your wall according to their specifications. This will not only keep your furniture safely in place, but it will prevent it from falling on people or pets. Another thing to do is evaluate your house for any other potentially dangerous risks. This could be things such as heavy items on open shelving that could topple, or exits that may get blocked if nearby items fell in front of them. Securing these items and fixing problems ahead of time could literally save you in the long run.
Another essential thing you should do to prepare for any disaster is make a plan with your family and friends. If you end up in an emergency situation and have to leave your home, where will you go? How will you contact your family to see if they’re alright and let them know where you are? How will you call for help if needed? It’s best to plan with people near you and those far away. This way friends and family outside of your area will know you’re safe or if they should be looking for you. Also, it’s important to be prepared with a way to communicate with loved ones should you not be able to use your normal means of communication. The items listed below will help you with survival, communication, safety, and much more.
What items should I have to prepare for an earthquake?
Emergency preparedness checklists will vary depending on the size of your household and where you’re located. The basic items listed below are essential to have in your go bags for emergencies varying from emergency forest fire evacuations, to summer and winter storms, earthquakes, and more.
You should ensure that you’ll have food, water, and some sort of shelter or way to keep yourself warm or cool, depending on the season. Earthquakes and other natural disasters can occur during any season, so it’s best to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions.
Emergency Preparedness Checklist
- Medicines-If you are on any prescription medicines don’t forget to have some of those stashed in a go bag. When disaster strikes you won’t have the time to collect them from the cupboard, so keep some ready to go in your emergency bag. Also, add additional medicines you might need such as Advil, Tums, and Tylenol to your kit.
- First Aid-To tie into the previous item, you’ll want to pack a first aid kit. You can create your own to your needs and specifications, or grab one of these Adventure Medical Kits.
- Water-It would be impractical to keep gallons of water set by your door and ready to go in an emergency. Good thing you don’t have to do that! You can keep some bottles (such as these Made in the USA Liberty ones) full with water in your bag, but otherwise you can use filtration systems to get clean drinking water. LifeStraws are a great option for this as they are lightweight and take up very little space.
- Food-Since you won’t be packing your best casserole with you (unless you’re lucky enough to have your own freeze dryer), you’ll want some dehydrated and shelf stable food. Canned goods and freeze dried meals by Peak and Mountain House are good options. (Freeze dried meals are definitely the better option weight wise.)
- Jetboil-This handy cooking device is amazing. We have used it countless times to heat up water for our dehydrated meals. Don’t forget to get extra fuel canisters for it as well. It’s also good to pack these matches incase you need to start a fire for cooking or heat.
- Communication-As I said above, being able to communicate if at all possible is extremely beneficial. On the chance that you’re phone is charged and working after a natural disaster, you’ll want to keep it charged. You can use a portable power bank and/or solar charger for this. (But, don’t count on there being enough sun to charge everything quickly). Depending on the severity of the incident, though, you may not be able to use your phone. This is where I believe the Garmin inReach comes in handy. We use ours for all our outdoor adventures. If you were to be in a situation where you had no phone service the inReach could save your life. Make sure your devices are charged and ready to go at all times.
- Emergency Blankets-Keep these in your emergency bags, first aid kits, backpacks, and more. If you have to spend any time outside in the cold during an emergency, these survival blankets will help you retain your heat.
- Toiletries-Having basic toiletries and baby wipes with you is important. You may not be able to go back to your home or it may not be safe to do so. I’m not trying scare you, but it’s a possibility that you should be prepared for. Stashing some travel sized toiletries and wipes in your go bag could prove to be very helpful. It may be a bit until you have access to those type of items again.
- Clothes-If you’re able to fit a set of weather appropriate clothing for your family in your bag that would be a huge bonus. Obviously, this will depend on the size of emergency bag storage you have and your household size, but clean clothes would definitely be helpful.
- Radio-Hopefully your vehicle will be working, but if it isn’t or you need to shut it off to save fuel, a hand crank radio would be helpful. Having a radio is helpful so you can get emergency updates and any notifications you need to hear. I haven’t tried this one, but it has a radio, power bank, and flashlight in one, and has fantastic reviews! Looks like I’ll be ordering one soon!
- Flashlight-I think you should have a flashlight packed for every household member. It’s a good way to signal for help and stay safe in the dark. I haven’t tried every flashlight there is, so I can’t give you a recommendation yet. I’d suggest getting one that isn’t solely battery powered. If it is, bring batteries, but if it has a solar or crank charge option too that would be best.
- Tarps and Duct Tape-When do these not come in handy? If you don’t pack them, you’ll need them, and if you pack them, hopefully you won’t need them!
- Babies and Kids-Obviously you’ll be brining your actual babies and kids with you. But, don’t forget to pack for their specific needs as well. Formula, diapers, bottles, kid’s medicines, and whatever other special items you would need for them should go in your bag.
- Babies of the Furry Variety-Don’t forget to pack for your pet! I just discovered there is freeze dried dog food! This would be a great way to pack your pet’s food in a lighter and smaller way. Also, don’t forget to pack any speciality medicines they may need as well.
One thing that is vitally important with all these items is that you have them together, ready to go, AND that you know how to use them! Trying to use a tourniquet, inReach, charging systems, or anything else without knowledge of how to use it is useless, so learning about your gear before you use it is very important.
Where should I store my emergency preparedness kit, and what should I store it in?
I’ve listed quite a few items I believe you need to prepare for any earthquake or other natural disaster. Now, you’re probably wondering where you should store all of this. Clearly, this will depend on your discretion and how many people you’re packing for. Depending on how much you pack, you can use a backpack or duffel bag. It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy or special. If you’re able to, a dry bag or other waterproof bag would be best, but any sturdy bag would work.
Where you keep your go bag is really up to you. I think the main exit in a home is best, but wherever you can easily and quickly grab it works. Like I stated before, you never know when or where you’ll be when a disaster strikes, so unless can keep a bag with you at all times, I would just keep one where you and your family spend most of their time. You can also keep a smaller version of your kit in your vehicle, too. A lot of these items are useful in many situations, so it may come in handy. Just keep in mind how the items in your bag will react to temperature extremes, such as water bottles, toiletries, etc.
I not trying to cause alarm, but don’t count on anyone coming to help you or look for you right away after a natural disaster. Assistance won’t be there immediately, and it’s up to you to look out for your family and yourself. Obviously you’re already on the right track if you’re reading this and trying to be more prepared for an earthquake or emergency, so kudos to you, and thank you for reading this! If you have any questions or would like to add your favorite natural disaster preparedness item to the list, please feel free to comment below!
