|
We currently have 20
people receiving the newsletter.
Earthquake
RSS |
What to Do After an Earthquake
- Check yourself for injuries.
Often people tend to others without checking their own injuries.
You will be better able to care for others if you are not injured
or if you have received first aid for your injuries.
- Protect yourself from further
danger by putting on long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy
shoes, and work gloves. This will protect your from further
injury by broken objects.
- After you have taken care of
yourself, help injured or trapped persons. If you have it in
your area, call 9-1-1, then give first aid when appropriate. Don't
try to move seriously injured people unless they are in immediate
danger of further injury.
- Look for and extinguish small
fires. Eliminate fire hazards. Putting out small fires
quickly, using available resources, will prevent them from
spreading. Fire is the most common hazard following earthquakes.
Fires followed the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 for three
days, creating more damage than the earthquake.
- Leave the gas on at the main
valve, unless you smell gas or think it's leaking. It may be
weeks or months before professionals can turn gas back on using
the correct procedures. Explosions have caused injury and death
when homeowners have improperly turned their gas back on by
themselves.
- Clean up spilled medicines,
bleaches, gasoline, or other flammable liquids immediately.
Avoid the hazard of a chemical emergency.
- Open closet and cabinet doors
cautiously. Contents may have shifted during the shaking of an
earthquake and could fall, creating further damage or injury.
- Inspect your home for damage.
Get everyone out if your home is unsafe. Aftershocks following
earthquakes can cause further damage to unstable buildings. If
your home has experienced damage, get out before aftershocks
happen.
- Help neighbors who may
require special assistance. Elderly people and people with
disabilities may require additional assistance. People who care
for them or who have large families may need additional assistance
in emergency situations.
- Listen to a portable,
battery-operated radio (or television) for updated emergency
information and instructions. If the electricity is out, this
may be your main source of information. Local radio and local
officials provide the most appropriate advice for your particular
situation.
- Expect aftershocks. Each
time you feel one, drop, cover, and hold on! Aftershocks
frequently occur minutes, days, weeks, and even months following
an earthquake.
- Watch out for fallen power
lines or broken gas lines, and stay out of damaged areas.
Hazards caused by earthquakes are often difficult to see, and you
could be easily injured.
- Stay out of damaged
buildings. If you are away from home, return only when
authorities say it is safe. Damaged buildings may be destroyed by
aftershocks following the main quake.
- Use battery-powered lanterns
or flashlights to inspect your home. Kerosene lanterns,
torches, candles, and matches may tip over or ignite flammables
inside.
- Inspect the entire length of
chimneys carefully for damage. Unnoticed damage could lead to
fire or injury from falling debris during an aftershock. Cracks in
chimneys can be the cause of a fire years later.
- Take pictures of the damage,
both to the house and its contents, for insurance claims.
- Avoid smoking inside
buildings. Smoking in confined areas can cause fires.
- When entering buildings, use
extreme caution. Building damage may have occurred where you
least expect it. Carefully watch every step you take.
- Examine walls, floor,
doors, staircases, and windows to make sure that the building is
not in danger of collapsing.
- Check for gas leaks. If
you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window
and quickly leave the building. Turn off the gas, using the
outside main valve if you can, and call the gas company from a
neighbor's home. If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must
be turned back on by a professional.
- Look for electrical system
damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or if
you smell burning insulation, turn off the electricity at the
main fuse box or circuit breaker. If you have to step in water
to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an electrician
first for advice.
- Check for sewage and water
line damage. If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid
using the toilets and call a plumber. If water pipes are
damaged, contact the water company and avoid using water from
the tap. You can obtain safe water from undamaged water heaters
or by melting ice cubes.
- Watch for loose plaster,
drywall, and ceilings that could fall.
- Use the telephone only to
report life-threatening emergencies. Telephone lines are
frequently overwhelmed in disaster situations. They need to be
clear for emergency calls to get through.
- Watch animals closely. Leash
dogs and place them in a fenced yard. The behavior of pets may
change dramatically after an earthquake. Normally quiet and
friendly cats and dogs may become aggressive or defensive.
Produced by the
National Disaster Education Coalition: American Red Cross, FEMA,
IAEM, IBHS, NFPA, NWS, USDA/CSREES, and USGS
This information
is in the public domain and is intended to be used and shared
without copyright restrictions. If you wish to cite the source when
you use this material, the following is suggested: From: Talking
About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages. Produced by the
National Disaster Education Coalition, Washington, D.C., 1999. |
