maven&meddler

We live in earthquake country, here in Nevada. But earthquakes can and have occurred throughout much of the United States. Travelling to earthquake prone areas of the world can also leave you at risk, so it’s wise to have some earthquake awareness.

The difference in fatalities and overall destruction between the Haitian quake and the much larger (100 times bigger ) 8.8 earthquake in Chile boils down to much better construction standards in Chile in addition to a much higher earthquaker awareness among Chile’s citizens.

Even the day of the big quake, persons interviewed in Chile, while not exactly blase about it, are relatively calm even as many are being evacuated from unsafe areas.

As engineers like to say: “earthquakes don’t kill people. Falling buildings do.”

A couple years ago, we had a very serious ‘swarm’ of earthquakes right here in the Reno, Nevada metropolitan area. Friends were afraid to even sleep in their homes, opting to stay with friends in another part of town, or camp in the backyard.

In our home, our tall furniture is attached to hooks that are anchored into the wall studs behind them. We keep an emergency kit of sturdy shoes, old jeans and a sweatshirt where we can grab them. We keep plastic jugs of water stored. We also have extra prescription medications.

Additionally, we know where and how to shut off the gas to the house, and have a shutoff wrench handy.

The previous year, much of downtown Wells, Nevada was destroyed by an earthquake.

What should I do during an earthquake?

1. If you are INDOORS—STAY THERE! (Get under a desk or table and hang on to it, or move into a hallway or get against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. GET OUT of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). DON’T run downstairs or rush outside while the bldg is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris. The old ‘wisdom’ of crouching under a doorway isn’t true in modern homes and offices. If you can’t get outside, then crouch low, away of large furniture that is likely to topple.


2. If you are OUTSIDE— get into the OPEN, away from bldgs, power lines, chimneys, and anything else that might fall on you.


3. If you are DRIVING—stop, but carefully. Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. DO NOT stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs. STAY INSIDE your car until the shaking stops. When you RESUME driving watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks, and bumps in the road at bridge approaches.


4. If you are in a MOUNTAINOUS AREA—watch out for falling rock, landslides, trees, and other debris that could be loosened by quakes

What NOT to do during and after an earthquake:

1. DO NOT turn on the gas again if you turned it off; let the gas company do it


2. DO NOT use matches, lighters, camp stoves or barbecues, electrical equipment, appliances UNTIL you are sure there are no gas leaks. They may create a spark that could ignite leaking gas and cause an explosion and fire


3. DO NOT use your telephone, EXCEPT for a medical or fire emergency. You could tie up the lines needed for emergency response. If the phone doesn’t work send someone for help


4. DO NOT expect firefighters, police or paramedics to help you. They may not be available.

What can I do AFTER an earthquake?

1. WEAR STURDY SHOES to avoid injury from broken glass and debris. Expect aftershocks


2. CHECK FOR INJURIES (if a person is bleeding, put direct pressure on the wound, use clean gauze or cloth if available; If a person is not breathing administer CPR; DO NOT attempt to move seriously injured persons unless they are in further danger of injury; COVER injured persons with blankets to keep warm; SEEK medical help for serious injuries


3. CHECK FOR HAZARDS (Fire hazards—put out fires in your home or neighborhood immediately, call for help; Gas leaks—shut off main gas valve ONLY if you suspect a leak because of broken pipes or odor; Damaged electrical wiring—Shut off power at the control box if there is any danger to house wiring; Downed or damaged utility lines—do not touch downed power lines or any objects in contact with them;
   SPILLS—clean up any spilled medicines, drugs, or other harmful materials such as bleach, lye, gas;
   DOWNED OR DAMAGED CHIMNEYS—Approach with caution—don’t use damaged chimney (it could start fire or let poisonous gases into your house;
   FALLEN ITEMS—beware of items tumbling off shelves when you open doors of closets and cupboards;
   CHECK FOOD AND WATER SUPPLIES—Do not eat or drink anything from open containers near shattered glass; If power is off, plan meals to use up foods that will spoil quickly or frozen foods (food in the freezer should be good for at least a couple of days; Don’t light your kitchen stove if you suspect a gas leak;
   USE BBQ or camp stoves, outdoors only for emergency cooking; If your water is off you can drink supplies from water heaters, melted ice cubes or canned vegetables (AVOID drinking water from swimming pools or especially spas—it may have too many chemicals in it to be safe.)

The following link will take you to a handy earthquake and emergency preparedness guide from The Los Angeles Fire Department.

The following comes from the San Francisco Chronicle, American Red Cross, and City of Berkeley:

WATER

• Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles. A normally active person needs to drink at least two quarts of water each day. Hot environments and intense physical activity can double that amount. Children, nursing mothers, and ill people will need more.
• Store one gallon of water per person per day. Don’t forget your pets.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of water per person (two quarts for drinking, two quarts for each person in your household for food preparation/sanitation).
• Change this water every six months. Household liquid bleach to kill microorganisms:
  • Use only regular household liquid bleach that contains 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite. Do not use scented bleaches, colorsafe bleaches or bleaches with added cleaners.
  • Add 16 drops of bleach per gallon of water, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not have a slight bleach odor, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.
  • The only agent used to treat water should be household liquid bleach. Other chemicals, such as iodine or water treatment products sold in camping or surplus stores that do not contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite as the only active ingredient, are not recommended and should not be used.

FOOD

• Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables.
• Canned juices, milk, soup
• Sugar, salt, pepper
• High energy foods such as peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix; foods that will not increase thirst.
• Vitamins
• Foods for infants, elderly, persons with special dietary needs
• Comfort/stress foods: cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags.
• Pet food, at least one ounce per animal pound per day.
• Avoid foods like rice, pasta and dry beans that require a great deal of water to prepare. Remember to restock your food once a year.
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FIRST AID KIT

• Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
• Assorted sizes of safety pins
• Cleansing agent/soap
• Latex gloves (2 pairs)
• Sunscreen
• 2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
• 4-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
• Triangular bandages (3)
• Non-prescription drugs such as Pain relievers, Anti-diarrhea medicines, Antacid, Syrup of Ipecac (used to induce vomiting with the advice of a Poison Control Center), Laxatives, Activated charcoal (used with advice from the Poison Control Center)
• Various roller bandages
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Needle
• Moistened towelettes
• Antiseptic
• Thermometer
• Tongue blades (2)
• Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
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TOOLS AND SUPPLIES

• Paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils
• Battery-operated radio and extra batteries
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Cash or traveler’s checks, in case banks are closed in the days following an earthquake
• Non-electric can opener or a utility knife
• Small fire extinguisher
• Pliers
• Tape
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic storage containers
• Signal flare
• Paper, pencil
• Needles, thread
• Medicine dropper
• Wrench, to turn off gas and water
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SANITATION

• Toilet paper
• Soap, liquid detergent
• Feminine supplies
• Plastic garbage bags and ties
• Plastic bucket with tight lid
• Disinfectant
• Household chlorine bleach
• Poop bags and scooper for pet waste
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CLOTHING AND BEDDING

• Sturdy shoes or work boots (keep near your bed)
• Rain gear
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Warm clothing
• Sunglasses (keep your spare eyeglasses in the emergency kit, too.)
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DOCUMENTS

• Will, insurance policies, contracts deeds, stocks and bonds
• Passports, social security cards, immunization records
• Bank account numbers
• Credit card account numbers and companies
• Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
• Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
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**Remember to include special needs family members such as a baby or an older person might have. It is also good to store in a water proof plastic bag important family documents (passports, wills, medical records etc.) along with your earthquake survival kit.

SOURCE: Chronicle, American Red Cross, Disaster Preparedness Handbook, City of Berkeley