Steps to Take During an Earthquake
When the ground starts shaking, you don't have time to think. You only have time to react. That's why knowing what to do before an earthquake hits is one of the most important things you can do for yourself, your family, or your team.
If you've ever assumed earthquakes are something that only happens out west, take a minute to read our post on Earthquakes in Our Backyard: Is Your Emergency Action Plan Ready? The Midwest sits closer to fault activity than most people realize, and being unprepared isn't a risk worth taking.
Below are the simple, proven steps to follow when an earthquake hits, along with practical tips for parents, drivers, and anyone caught in a worst-case scenario.
When an Earthquake Hits
DO:
Stay away from windows, utility rooms, and any furniture that isn't secured to the wall and could tip or send items flying.
Drop to the ground immediately.
Get under a sturdy piece of furniture that is not structurally attached to the building, and hold on to it.
If possible, position yourself along an interior wall, away from windows and utility rooms.
DO NOT:
Run outside.
Look out a window.
Hide in an interior room without protection from falling objects.
Try to climb to a higher floor.
Any unnecessary movement during an earthquake increases your risk of injury. The safest move is almost always to drop, get under cover, and hold on right where you are.
Helpful Tips for Parents
Earthquake preparedness isn't something kids automatically understand, especially in a region where it isn't talked about often. Talk with your children before an earthquake happens, not during one.
Walk through your home together and identify exactly where they should go depending on which room they're in. Point out the sturdy furniture they can get under and the interior walls they should head toward. The more familiar this plan feels, the more likely your kids are to follow it without panicking.
Helpful Tips for Driving
If you're behind the wheel when an earthquake strikes, pull over in a location away from bridges, overpasses, trees, and power lines, anything that could fall on or near your vehicle.
Stay inside your car until the shaking completely stops. Once it's safe, proceed carefully, as roads, signals, and bridges may be damaged even if the shaking felt minor.
Helpful Tips If You're Trapped
If you find yourself trapped after an earthquake, stay calm. Panic uses energy you may need later and can cloud your judgment.
If you have a cell phone with you, call for help right away. If you don't have a phone within reach, conserve your energy. Stay awake and alert so that when rescuers are searching the area, you're able to respond and help guide them to your location.
Practice Makes the Plan Stick
These steps are simple, but simple doesn't mean automatic. None of this truly sinks in until you've talked it through, or better yet, practiced it. Walk through your plan individually, as a family, and as a team at work. The goal is to make the right response feel familiar long before you ever need it.
Need Help Building Your Plan?
If you're a business, school, church, or organization that doesn't have an emergency action plan in place, or you have one but haven't walked your team through it, we'd love to help. At Formation Industries, we specialize in building practical, real-world preparedness plans for the people and organizations of the Ozarks.
Reach out to Formation Industries today and let's sit down and talk through what a solid plan looks like for you.
