Getting Prepared and Being in an Earthquake

First things first

• To begin preparing you should have a 72 hour kit or provisions to last for a few days if needed. (some things that would be handy to have in your 72 hour kit would be: Food, toothbrushes/paste, games, extra clothes, and LOTS of water!!)
• Fasten shelves securely to walls.
• Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
• Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
• Fasten heavy items such as pictures and mirrors securely to walls and away from beds, couches and anywhere people sit.
• Brace overhead light fixtures and top heavy objects.
• Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks. Get appropriate professional help. Do not work with gas or electrical lines yourself.
• Install flexible pipe fittings to avoid gas or water leaks. Flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage.
• Secure your water heater, refrigerator, furnace and gas appliances by strapping them to the wall studs and bolting to the floor. If recommended by your gas company, have an automatic gas shut-off valve installed that is triggered by strong vibrations.
• Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
• Be sure the residence is firmly anchored to its foundation.
• Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
• Locate safe spots in each room under a sturdy table or against an inside wall. Reinforce this information by moving to these places during each drill.

Holding earthquake drills with your family members is also a good idea!

Second:

When you're in an earthquake here is what you should do:

• First you need to find a stable object and get underneath it. (a table, desk, door frame, etc.)
• Next curl up into a ball under the object with your hands over your head ,which is what your going to want to protect the most, and your back facing up (you want to curl up as small as you can, unless you are under a door frame, in which case you will want to stand and brace yourself against the sides.)
• Then all you can do is wait out the earthquake.

NOTE: Wait for the aftershock, because it may make your surroundings even more dangerous!

Thanks for reading, comments are appreciated.

Earthquakes

In my new blog I will be covering earthquakes and how you should be prepared for them. The first thing you should know is what earthquakes really are. What causes earthquakes is when there is a shift in the Plate Tectonics, which if you don't already know Plate tectonics is the process where sections of the Earth's crust and upper mantle move, or slip past each other. The place where they part is called the fault, or plane. Many times there will be fore and aftershocks to the earthquakes, which is a smaller earthquake before and after the main earthquake. Earthquakes can be big and small, so it would be a good idea to research earthquakes in your area, for example: If you live near an earthquake fault, or if large, or even small, earthquakes are something that you should be constantly prepared for. Even though you should always be prepared, just in case! 


Thank you for reading, please feel free to comment!