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Strong quake prompts earthquake preparedness reminders

If residents felt some shaking on the Fourth of July, and even if they didn’t personally sense it, they likely heard it was a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in the Mojave Desert near the town of Ridgecrest.

The quake is being called one of the biggest in Southern California in 20 years, could be felt in various counties as far as San Diego County and Nevada and is continuing to put out aftershocks.

Residents should have a plan in place for earthquakes. Does everyone in your family know what to do in the event of significant shaking? What if family members are separated from each other? How will they reunite if local phone lines are down or the roads are inaccessible? Is there enough food and water stored in case the family must shelter in place at home for several days until infrastructure is re-established?

If residents have never considered any of these questions, now is the time to prepare and practice their plan. Being prepared can greatly improve the chances for safety and survival in a major disaster.

Learn what to do before, during and after an earthquake, by visiting http://www.ReadySanDiego.org. Download a free template for a family disaster plan and create a home emergency kit.

Being informed is also key in a disaster and the San Diego County’s free SD Emergency mobile app is a great resource. While the app also has interactive features to help residents prepare, its greatest use may be during a disaster when it shows up-to-date open shelters, health warnings and other information. The free app is available from the Apple Store and Google Play.

What you can do

When a strong earthquake occurs, the water and gas lines could be compromised and phones and electricity could be out. Roads could be unsafe to use due to damage or debris. At the same time, if buildings are damaged, emergency officials will be busy with priority calls. That’s when residents will need to rely on their emergency preparedness plan and supplies.

Prepare ahead of time. Gather items for a home, work and car emergency kit to last three days at a minimum. The items should be stored in a ready-to-grab waterproof bag or container, such as a plastic tub. Prepackaged emergency kits are available at some big box stores or at the American Red Cross, but residents can also put their own kits together by buying items or gathering items from home. Include water – at least 1 gallon per person per day; non-perishable food; first-aid kit; whistle; radio; flashlight and batteries.

Check home for potential hazards – things that can topple over and cause injury.

Secure televisions, bookshelves and other heavy furniture to the wall.

Use special hooks to secure photos and art to walls.

Plan and rehearse where the family can seek cover in each room of the home.

Personalize these kits for the family by considering the dietary needs of infants, pets and other family members. If anyone in the family requires medication, keep an extra week’s supply in the kits. Keep a copy of important documents such as insurance policies, identification and bank records in case the family has to evacuate quickly. Scan and store them online or on a thumb drive and do the same with family photographs.

Plan. A disaster could happen while parents are at work and children at school. If family members are separated from each other during an emergency, they cannot count on phone lines because they can quickly get overloaded. So it’s important to have a Family Disaster Plan that includes several meeting places and an out-of-state emergency contact who family members can call or text message. Text messaging is often a more successful way to communicate during a disaster.

Create a complete Family Disaster Plan with important phone numbers and information that may be needed in an emergency. The plan templates are available in English, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese at http://www.ReadySanDiego.org. If a family has a plan, review it, make sure it is still up-to-date and practice it.

During an earthquake, drop, cover and hold on. Get down low to avoid falling, find a sturdy desk or table to seek cover under and hold on to it with one arm, while covering the head with the other arm.

If there are no tables, find an interior wall that is not near any heavy furniture or near glass picture frames, windows or under light fixtures, scoot down and cover the head.

If outside, find an open area away from buildings, trees or overhead utility wires, sit down and cover the head.

Check the home for potential hazards. If residents smell gas, turn it off at the valve.

Stay informed. During an emergency, residents will want official information. The San Diego County emergency website is http://www.sdcountyemergency.com and will be updated with news including road closures and shelters. If residents prefer a mobile version, download the county’s free mobile app, SD Emergency. Download the mobile application online in the Google Play or Apple store.

Residents can also sign up to get emergency alerts by cellphone during a disaster. Register a phone number for AlertSanDiego, http://www.readysandiego.org/alertsandiego/.

If the power is out, use a battery-powered radio to get updates from KOGO-AM 600. Residents can call 211 to get information about emergency updates or services. The county also will also send out information on Twitter via the San Diego County and Ready San Diego accounts.

 

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