International ShakeOut Day is always the third Thursday of October 21
10/20/2021 (Permalink)
As always, you can hold your #ShakeOut drill when and where you want.
While COVID-19 has brought many uncertainties and challenges, one thing's for sure: ShakeOut is still happening this year!
As always, you can hold your #ShakeOut drill when and where you want. You can choose another date or several dates, and include people in multiple locations (home, work, or school), perhaps through video conferencing. It's a good idea to practice earthquake safety in different situations each year!
An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the ground caused by the shifting of rocks deep underneath the earth’s surface. Earthquakes can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. While they can happen anywhere without warning, areas at higher risk for earthquakes include Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington and the entire Mississippi River Valley.
Prepare Before an Earthquake
The best time to prepare for any disaster is before it happens.
Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with family and coworkers.Make an Emergency Plan: Create a family emergency communications plan that has an out-of-state contact. Plan where to meet if you get separated. Make a supply kit that includes enough food and water for several days, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher and a whistle.Protect Your Home: Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, televisions and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves. Consider making improvements to your building to fix structural issues that could cause your building to collapse during an earthquake. Consider obtaining an earthquake insurance policy. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage.Stay Safe During
If an earthquake happens, protect yourself right away:
If you are in a car, pull over and stop. Set your parking brake.If you are in bed, turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow.If you are outdoors, stay outdoors away from buildings.If you are inside, stay and do not run outside and avoid doorways.Protect Yourself During Earthquakes
1. Drop (or Lock)
Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. If you’re using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops.
2. Cover
Cover your head and neck with your arms. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows). Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris. Stay on your knees or bent over to protect vital organs.
3. Hold On
If you are under a table or desk, hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it if it moves. If seated and unable to drop to the floor, bend forward, cover your head with your arms and hold on to your neck with both hands.
Stay Safe After
After an earthquake, there can be serious hazards such as damage to the building, leaking gas and water lines, or downed power lines.
Expect aftershocks to follow the main shock of an earthquake. Be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you feel an aftershock.If you are in a damaged building, go outside and quickly move away from the building. Do not enter damaged buildings.If you are trapped, send a text or bang on a pipe or wall. Cover your mouth with your shirt for protection and instead of shouting, use a whistle.Check yourself to see if you are hurt and help others if you have training. Learn how to be the help until help arrives.Once you are safe, pay attention to local news reports for emergency information and instructions via battery-operated radio, TV, social media or from cell phone text alerts.
Register on the American Red Cross “Safe and Well” website so people will know you are okay.Use text messages to communicate, which may be more reliable than phone calls.Be careful when cleaning up. Wear protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, work gloves and sturdy thick-soled shoes. Do not try to remove heavy debris by yourself. Wear a mask and maintain a physical distance of at least six feet while working with someone else. Use an appropriate mask if cleaning mold or other debris. People with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled. Children should not take part in disaster cleanup work.Engage virtually with your community through video and phone calls. Know that it’s normal to feel anxious or stressed. Take care of your body and talk to someone if you are feeling upset.