When you live in an earthquake zone, a portion of your mind wonders what would happen if you were faced with the “Big One”. There is an entire subculture of survivalists who devote themselves to being prepared for a potential complete loss of infrastructure, after a major world event.
Although an earthquake would be a localized, and hopefully temporary, version of this kind of apocalypse situation, we all have a lot to learn from “preppers” about emergency preparedness plans and upping your odds for surviving your own worst nightmare.
Stocking A Disaster Kit Will Ease Your Mind
Firstly, when speaking about earthquake “Bug Out Bags”, (‘Bug Out Bag’ is an old term from the American military that refers to an all-purpose bag that can be grabbed and transported quickly, that holds essential items needed for survival outside of a permanent camp.) realize that all family members who are old/healthy enough to carry a pack should ideally have their own pack.
Each healthy person who can lug around their share in an emergency should be responsible for carrying their portion of water, food, or other items that will be necessary for living rough.
With each person carrying their own earthquake kit in a family or group scenario, the amount of supplies is multiplied, and therefore the amount of portable food and water sources will help to take care of larger groups.
What If I Am At Work?
If you are single, you might keep a survival pack in a closet at home in an easy-to-access place that you can access within minutes of an emergency announcement. But what if you are at work?
This situation might be even more serious. If you work in the downtown of a huge city, and an earthquake levels a portion of the city, or knocks out utilities and makes navigating blocks very difficult to impossible, having an Earthquake Preparedness Pack at your workplace is a great plan.
It must be in a place where you know it can be easily grabbed by you, and where it will be safe from others pilfering in it, (or, worse, having someone flat out steal your whole pack for themselves). If you have found a secure place, like a locker that locks, placing your securely placed pack within an easily accessed area is a first start to feeling more secure.
What About My Dog/Cat?
Services that make up emergency preparedness kits like Stealth Angel have a kit just for your beloved pet! Only a monster would not even think about saving their loyal pet from a cataclysmic problem that has forced them from hearth and home. A Bug Out Bag just for them is nothing to be ashamed of.
Earthquake Specifics, From A Survivalist Perspective
The American Red Cross website has an informative page all about Earthquake preparedness that anybody who lives in a high-risk area for earthquakes should review with their family (and especially with small children).
Look for safe places in every room of the place you live, work, and even at your kids’ school. Safe places from falling debris are under sturdy pieces of furniture, or tightly against an interior wall, away from any windows that could shatter, or bookcases that can throw heavy objects all over the place, or any tall furniture pieces that might fall onto people.
Review the plan to “Stop, Drop and Cover” in an earthquake situation with your family, until small children get the basic idea. Review that plan in each safe place in your home occasionally, for safety’s sake.
Save the link to the NOAA website, and download the NOAA app to your phone to have access to real-time emergency information from NOAA.
Have an open discussion about earthquakes with your kids, so they aren't as fearful about the subject if an emergency situation ever arises. Check out your workplace and your children's schools and daycare centers to learn about their individual earthquake emergency plans, as well.
