On June 23rd, Canada experienced an Earthquake was felt in Michigan (my home state) as well as neighboring states such as Ohio, Wisconsin and Delaware. We seldom experience Earthquakes so this one which had a magnitude of 5.0, has us talking quite a bit.
Earthquakes may be uncommon in this area but it’s still important to be prepared. Below are ways to prepare yourself, take saftey precautions and recover from an earthquake.
Preparation Tips
- Become familiar with your community’s disaster preparedness plan.
- Teach family members how to shut off water, gas and electricity to the house.
- Purchase at least one multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguisher.
- Install smoke detectors and change the batteries every six months.
- Prepare an emergency supplies kit including a three day supply of bottled water and non-perishable food, as well as a manual can opener, paper plates, cups, utensils, first-aid kit, flashlight and battery-operated radio with extra batteries.
Safety Tips
- At the first sign of an earthquake, drop and take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture or against an inside wall away from objects that may fall on you.
- Sit or stay close to the floor and hold on to furniture legs for balance.
- Use your arm to cover and protect your eyes.
- If there’s no sturdy furniture nearby, kneel or sit close to the floor next to a structurally sound interior wall away from windows, shelves, or furniture that could fall and place your hands on the floor for balance.
- Stay away from doorways, violent motion could cause the doors to slam against your body, crush your fingers or inflict other serious injuries
Recovery Tips
- Be alert for aftershocks.
- Look for injured victims and administer first aid.
- Pay attention to damaged utilities. Avoid loose or dangling electric power lines and report all gas and electrical problems to the proper authorities.
- Turn off any damaged utilities.
- Check for fire hazards and use flashlights instead of candles or lanterns.
- Wear protective shoes. Have them by your bed in case the earthquake happens in the middle of the night.
- If your building is sound, stay inside and listen for radio advisories.
Valery Amador, Daily Venus Diva -- Daily Venus Diva.
I live between the two major cities that felt it and I’m still shocked I didn’t feel a thing. I might have been in the vehicle at the time. It’s still kind of freaky, I mean I just don’t think of ON as having earthquakes. Great tips. You should also have some extra cash in your emergency kit.
Disaster precautions is important in preventing the loss of human lives and minimizing the damage to property during the occurrence of a natural disaster. In today’s world, there are so many types of natural disasters. In some cases, we cannot be able to take any precautions. So, safety measures or precautions should be pre-planned before the disaster strikes. However, some of the precautions to be taken before a natural disaster occurs are listed below :
1.The people should be sure that all breakables are stored safely, foodstuffs and water are prepared and big items need are on the floor.
2.Green vegetation like trees surrounding houses should be pruned regularly or even cut down if they are in state for damaging property if disturbed, for example wind .
3.Trustful information regarding natural disasters is always published on the news. Professionals who relay information to the media always closely monitors volcanic eruptions and hurricanes . Instructions and advice are also given on the emergency news as to how to prepare safe during occurrence of natural disasters.
4.In the event that the gas or electricity becomes hazardous,everybody should also familiarize themselves with turning off the gas and electricity supply to their houses .
5.The originals or copies of valuable certificates like birth certificates,marriage certificates, passports, citizenship,etc should not be left behind in an evacuated house but always carried on the person in the event that there is no return.
6. Learn how to shut off gas, water and electricity in case the lines are damaged.
7. If power is lost, turn off major appliances and keep refrigerators and freezers closed.
8. Check your home for cracks and damage, including the roof, chimneys and foundation.