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There are four main ways that you can do to help reduce the effects of an earthquake -
- Secure shelves
- Ready an emergency survival kit
- Protect your home
- Protect yourself and your family
Secure Shelving:
Shelves falling during an earthquake are a very main causes of death. This is why it is important to secure them.
It is easy to find small L-shaped metal pieces at the hardware store, that have nail holes on each side. This way, you can secure any type of shelving would it be a bookcase to a vintage cabinet to the wall that the shelf is stuck to. You can also install a 'lip' onto the front of the shelf to reduce the risk if objects falling off the edge. It is also recommended that you stick Blu® Tack or wax to the bases of valuables or heavy objects to keep them from moving, except this method is not often used as it can sometimes ruin valuable ceramics or glasses.
Readying an emergency survival kit:
Survival kits are essential in case of an emergency where supplies cannot be found. Things that are important in a survival kit are;
- A portable radio
- A flashlight
- Candles
- Matches or a lighter
- Medications
- Five-day food supply (non-perishable food)
- An ice chest
- Containers of water (enough for each person for five days)
- Sleeping bags or blankets
- Toiletries
- Clothing
- A can opener
- A cooking stove
- Fuel
- A pocket knife
- First Aid kit
- Pet food (if applicable)
Protecting your home:
There are a few things that you can do to protect your home, and one of these includes shear walls. This is for people whose house is on stilts or it is above the ground in some way. Even if your house is strong, the foundation may not be. This can be very dangerous during an earthquake as the house may rock back and forth, or come off the stilts altogether. Shear walls help to make a connection between the house and the ground, to stabilise the house. You can also make stronger frames for windows, or make a criss-cross patterned frame to place on a window in the event of an earthquake to reduce the risk of the window breaking or shattering.
During the earthquake:
- Hide under desks or tables
- If you are inside, stay inside
- If you are outside, stay in an open space, away from trees, power lines, etc. - anything that could fall and hurt you
- If you are at or near the beach, and the earthquake is powerful enough that it is difficult to stand, immediately move away from the ocean to higher ground because if the earthquake occurred offshore, then a tsunami could be just minutes away
After the earthquake:
- Check on everyone in your family and your neighbours. Put out any fires that have started
- Wear shoes in areas of broken glass and debris
- Check for smells of gas in case something is going to catch fire
- Check for signs of danger or any loose objects that look like they are going to fall down
- Secure shelves
- Ready an emergency survival kit
- Protect your home
- Protect yourself and your family
Secure Shelving:
Shelves falling during an earthquake are a very main causes of death. This is why it is important to secure them.
It is easy to find small L-shaped metal pieces at the hardware store, that have nail holes on each side. This way, you can secure any type of shelving would it be a bookcase to a vintage cabinet to the wall that the shelf is stuck to. You can also install a 'lip' onto the front of the shelf to reduce the risk if objects falling off the edge. It is also recommended that you stick Blu® Tack or wax to the bases of valuables or heavy objects to keep them from moving, except this method is not often used as it can sometimes ruin valuable ceramics or glasses.
Readying an emergency survival kit:
Survival kits are essential in case of an emergency where supplies cannot be found. Things that are important in a survival kit are;
- A portable radio
- A flashlight
- Candles
- Matches or a lighter
- Medications
- Five-day food supply (non-perishable food)
- An ice chest
- Containers of water (enough for each person for five days)
- Sleeping bags or blankets
- Toiletries
- Clothing
- A can opener
- A cooking stove
- Fuel
- A pocket knife
- First Aid kit
- Pet food (if applicable)
Protecting your home:
There are a few things that you can do to protect your home, and one of these includes shear walls. This is for people whose house is on stilts or it is above the ground in some way. Even if your house is strong, the foundation may not be. This can be very dangerous during an earthquake as the house may rock back and forth, or come off the stilts altogether. Shear walls help to make a connection between the house and the ground, to stabilise the house. You can also make stronger frames for windows, or make a criss-cross patterned frame to place on a window in the event of an earthquake to reduce the risk of the window breaking or shattering.
During the earthquake:
- Hide under desks or tables
- If you are inside, stay inside
- If you are outside, stay in an open space, away from trees, power lines, etc. - anything that could fall and hurt you
- If you are at or near the beach, and the earthquake is powerful enough that it is difficult to stand, immediately move away from the ocean to higher ground because if the earthquake occurred offshore, then a tsunami could be just minutes away
After the earthquake:
- Check on everyone in your family and your neighbours. Put out any fires that have started
- Wear shoes in areas of broken glass and debris
- Check for smells of gas in case something is going to catch fire
- Check for signs of danger or any loose objects that look like they are going to fall down