Guest post by Andrew Hopkins, Canadian Red Cross, B.C.
Earthquakes don’t come with built in warning systems. I was reading in bed Tuesday night when a sudden rumbling shook the ground beneath me. The late night quiet was shattered by creaking walls and a harsh thump as my bed shook from the force of a 4.7 magnitude earthquake that rattled B.C.’s south coast. The shaking ended quickly. The shock took much longer to wear off.
Damage was minor and no one was injured, but the quake served as a good reminder that there’s rarely time to prepare for a disaster, unless you
MAKE the time to be ready.
That means
knowing the risks in your area,
making a plan with your family to stay safe, and
getting an emergency kit with the supplies you will need to survive.
If earthquakes are a risk where you live, there are even more things you can do to help keep you and your family safe.
- Pick safe places in each room of your home, workplace and/or school. These include: under a piece of furniture or against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you.
- Practice drop, cover and hold in each safe place.
- Teach everyone in your family (if they are old enough) how to turn off your home’s water and electricity.
- Clearly label the on-off positions for water, electricity and gas. If your home is equipped with natural gas: tie or tape the appropriate wrench on or near the pipe so you are able to turn it off, if necessary.
- Secure top heavy furniture to the wall in order to prevent tipping.
- Locate beds and chairs away from chimneys and windows. Don’t hang heavy pictures or other items over beds.
Of course, knowing what to do
during (drop, cover and hold) and
after (check for structural damage and hazards) will also help you through the shock, and devastation that may follow.
For millions of people in many of B.C.’s largest cities, Tuesday’s quake was a wake up call. What will yours be?