EARTHQUAKE PREPERADNESSEARTHQUAKE PREPERADNESS

RECENT EARTHQUAKES LAST RECENT EARTHQUAKES LAST 8 – 30 DAYS8 – 30 DAYS

WHAT ARE EARTHQUAKESWHAT ARE EARTHQUAKES

• Earthquakes, also called temblors, can be so tremendously destructive, it’s hard to imagine they occur by the thousands every day around the world, usually in the form of small tremors.

HOW ARE EQS MEASURED?HOW ARE EQS MEASURED?

• Scientists assign a magnitude rating to earthquakes based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. A quake measuring 3 to 5 is considered minor or light; 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; 7 to 8 is major; and 8 or more is great.

• On average, a magnitude 8 quake strikes somewhere every year and some 10,000 people die in earthquakes annually. Collapsing buildings claim by far the majority of lives, but the destruction is often compounded by mud slides, fires, floods, or tsunamis. Smaller temblors that usually occur in the days following a large earthquake can complicate rescue efforts and cause further death and destruction.

Earthquake Safety Tips Earthquake Safety Tips Keeping SafeKeeping Safe

• Earthquakes are a common occurrence, rumbling below Earth's surface thousands of times every day. But major earthquakes are less common. Here are some things to do to prepare for an earthquake and what to do once the ground starts shaking.

• Safety Tips• Have an earthquake readiness plan. • Consult a professional to learn how to make your home sturdier, such as bolting bookcases to

wall studs, installing strong latches on cupboards, and strapping the water heater to wall studs. • Locate a place in each room of the house that you can go to in case of an earthquake. It should

be a spot where nothing is likely to fall on you. • Keep a supply of canned food, an up-to-date first aid kit, 3 gallons (11.4 liters) of water per

person, dust masks and goggles, and a working battery-operated radio and flashlights.• Know how to turn off your gas and water mains. • If Shaking Begins• Drop down; take cover under a desk or table and hold on. • Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you're sure it's safe to exit. • Stay away from bookcases or furniture that can fall on you. • Stay away from windows. In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off

during a quake. • If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. • If you are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the

ground. • If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.

MOST RECENT EARTHQUAKESMOST RECENT EARTHQUAKES

• Magnitude 6.5 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA March 05, 2010 • Magnitude 6.6 OFFSHORE BIO-BIO, CHILE March 05, 2010 • Magnitude 8.8 OFFSHORE MAULE, CHILE February 27, 2010 • Magnitude 7.0 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN February 26, 2010 • Magnitude 6.9 CHINA-RUSSIA-NORTH KOREA BORDER REGION February 18, 20

10

• Magnitude 3.8 ILLINOIS February 10, 2010 • Magnitude 5.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA February 04, 2010 • Magnitude 6.2 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA February 01, 2010 • Magnitude 5.9 HAITI REGION January 20, 2010 • Magnitude 4.0 OKLAHOMA January 15, 2010 • Magnitude 7.0 HAITI REGION January 12, 2010 • Magnitude 6.5 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA January 10, 2010 • Magnitude 4.1 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA January 07, 2010 • Magnitude 6.8 SOLOMON ISLANDS January 05, 2010 • Magnitude 7.1 SOLOMON ISLANDS January 03, 2010 • Magnitude 6.6 SOLOMON ISLANDS January 03, 2010

Q: During an EQ should you head for the Q: During an EQ should you head for the

doorway?doorway?

• 1: Only if you live in an old, unreinforced adobe house. In modern homes doorways are no stronger than any other parts of the house and usually have doors that will swing and can injure you. YOU ARE SAFER PRACTICING THE DUCK, COVER, AND HOLD under a sturdy piece of furniture.

Q: What emergency supplies do I need?Q: What emergency supplies do I need?

• 2: • Fire extinguisher • Adequate supplies of medications that you or family members are taking • Crescent and pipe wrenches to turn off gas and water supplies • First-aid kit and handbook • Flashlights with extra bulbs and batteries • Portable radio with extra batteries • Water for each family member for at least two weeks (allow at least 1 gallon

per person per day) and purification tablets or chlorine bleach to purify drinking water from other sources

• Canned and package foods, enough for several days (72 hours) and MECHANICAL can opener. Extra food for pets if necessary

• Camp stove or barbecue to cook on outdoors (store fuel out of the reach of children)

• Waterproof, heavy-duty plastic bags for waste disposal.

Other items you may wish to include:Other items you may wish to include:•   gloves, outdoor/winter clothing

  waterproof matches and candles- but don't use them if there are gas leaks or spilled flammable liquids

  money, including coins (25 cents) for telephones, because banks and credit cards may not be usable

  a sleeping bag for each member of your family

  garbage bags

  a portable toilet

  rope, heavy tape

  a crowbar or pry bar

  a gasoline generator and a rated extension cord

  earthquake buddies for children (eg: stuffed animal, doll game)

  evacuation pack for each person /vehicle pack for each vehicle

PREPARING YOUR HOMEPREPARING YOUR HOME

• Secure top-heavy furniture (eg: shelving units) to prevent tipping. Keep heavy items on lower shelves.

• Fix mirrors and other hanging objects so they won't fall of hooks.

• Locate beds away from chimneys, windows, heavy pictures, etc. Closed curtains will help keep broken window glass off nearby occupied beds.

• Put anti-skid pads (eg: Velcro) under TVs, VCRs, computers and small appliances.

• Store valuable documents and special small keepsakes in a fire-resistant place.

• Keep sturdy shoes and outdoor clothing handy.

• Tie down your water heater and other appliances that could break gas or water lines if they topple.

Q: How can I plan ahead for an EQ?Q: How can I plan ahead for an EQ? • 3:• Make sure each member of your family knows what to do no matter where they are when EQs

occur:

• Establish a mtg place where you can all reunite afterward • Find out about EQ plans developed by children's school or day care • Remember transportation may be disrupted, keep some emergency supplies--food, liquids, and

comfortable shoes, for example--at work

• KNOW where you gas, electric and water main shutoffs are and how to turn them off if there is a leak or electrical short. Make sure older members of the family can shut off utilities

• LOCATE your nearest fire and police stations and emergency medical facility • TALK to your neighbors--how could they help you, or you them after an EQ • TAKE Red Cross First Aid and CPR Training Course.   Train members of your family to use fire

extinguishers.

• Make an appointment now with your insurance broker to talk about your earthquake insurance. Check your coverage... it will affect your loss and financial ability to recover after an earthquake

• Talk to your children about what to do if they're at home, at school, if the quake separates your family. Become familiar with the school's earthquake plan.

• Arrange an out-of-the-area contact. Each family member should carry the contact phone number and address. Have an alternative family rendezvous if you can't get home.

Q: What should I do during an EQ? Q: What should I do during an EQ?

• 4: • If you are INDOORS--STAY THERE! (Get under a desk or table and hang

on to it, or move into a hallway or get against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. GET OUT of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). DON'T run downstairs or rush outside while the bldg is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris.

• If you are OUTSIDE-- get into the OPEN, away from bldgs, power lines, chimneys, and anything else that might fall on you.

• If you are DRIVING--stop, but carefully. Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. DO NOT stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs. STAY INSIDE your car until the shaking stops. When you RESUME driving watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks, and bumps in the road at bridge approaches.

• If you are in a MOUNTAINOUS AREA--watch out for falling rock, landslides, trees, and other debris that could be loosened by quakes.

Q: Things NOT to do during an EQ?Q: Things NOT to do during an EQ?

• 5: • DO NOT turn on the gas again if you turned it off; let the gas

company do it

• DO NOT use matches, lighters, camp stoves or barbecues, electrical equipment, appliances UNTIL you are sure there are no gas leaks. They may create a spark that could ignite leaking gas and cause an explosion and fire

• DO NOT use your telephone, EXCEPT for a medical or fire emergency. You could tie up the lines needed for emergency response. If the phone doesn't work send someone for help

• DO NOT expect firefighters, police or paramedics to help you. They may not be available.

Q: What can I expect in my house when an EQ Q: What can I expect in my house when an EQ

occurs? How do I identify it? What can be done?occurs? How do I identify it? What can be done? • 6: The contents of your home may be damaged and can be

dangerous:

• Shaking can make light fixtures fall, refrigerators and other large items move across the floor, and bookcases and television sets topple over. IDENTIFY: Look around your house for things that could fall or move

• Ask yourself if your cupboard doors fly open (allowing dishes to shatter on the floor)

• Is TV and stereo fastened down and are shelves fastened to wall? Do you have hanging plants or light fixtures that might fall? Is there a heavy picture or mirror on the wall over your bed?

•WHAT CAN BE DONE: You can install door latches, braces and fasteners to fix most of these hazards yourself.

Q: What do I do after an earthquake?Q: What do I do after an earthquake? • A: • WEAR STURDY SHOES to avoid injury from broken glass and debris. Expect aftershocks

• CHECK FOR INJURIES (if a person is bleeding, put direct pressure on the wound, use clean gauze or cloth if available; If a person is not breathing administer CPR; DO NOT attempt to move seriously injured persons unless they are in further danger of injury; COVER injured persons with blankets to keep warm; SEEK medical help for serious injuries

• CHECK FOR HAZARDS (Fire hazards--put out fires in your home or neighborhood immediately, call for help; Gas leaks--shut off main gas valve ONLY if you suspect a leak because of broken pipes or odor; Damaged electrical wiring--Shut off power at the control box if there is any danger to house wiring; Downed or damaged utility lines--do not touch downed power lines or any objects in contact with them; SPILLS--clean up any spilled medicines, drugs, or other harmful materials such as bleach, lye, gas; DOWNED OR DAMAGED CHIMNEYS--Approach with caution--don't use damaged chimney (it could start fire or let poisonous gases into your house; FALLEN ITEMS--beware of items tumbling off shelves when you open doors of closets and cupboards; CHECK FOOD AND WATER SUPPLIES--Do not eat or drink anything from open containers near shattered glass; If power is off, plan meals to use up foods that will spoil quickly or frozen foods (food in the freezer should be good for at least a couple of days; Don't light your kitchen stove if you suspect a gas leak; USE BBQ or camp stoves, outdoors only for emergency cooking; If your water is off you can drink supplies from water heaters, melted ice cubes or canned vegetables (AVOID drinking water from swimming pools or especially spas--it may have too many chemicals in it to be safe.)

WHERE DO MOST EQ OCCURWHERE DO MOST EQ OCCUR

• Some 80 percent of all the planet's earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the "Ring of Fire" because of the preponderance of volcanic activity there as well. Most earthquakes occur at fault zones, where tectonic plates—giant rock slabs that make up the Earth's upper layer—collide or slide against each other. These impacts are usually gradual and unnoticeable on the surface; however, immense stress can build up between plates. When this stress is released quickly, it sends massive vibrations, called seismic waves, often hundreds of miles through the rock and up to the surface. Other quakes can occur far from faults zones when plates are stretched or squeezed.

Q: What are the steps to EQ Q: What are the steps to EQ

safety/awareness?safety/awareness? • A: • Estimate what EQ of what size are likely to occur

(geology) • Given the EQ size we then estimate what the

shaking will be (seismology) • Given the shaking we estimate the response of

different types of buildings (EQ engineering). Only with all these steps can we take steps as society to enact bldg. codes and retrofitting programs to make our community safer.

EARTHQUAKE RATTLES EARTHQUAKE RATTLES NERVESNERVES

• By Raphael Satter, The Associated Press• LONDON - Experts say there is nothing unusual about the latest spate of earthquakes in Haiti,

Chile and now Turkey, but their devastation illustrates how growing construction along the world's fault lines can lead to massive casualties.

• Seismologists say that although one powerful quake can conceivably raise the risk for others elsewhere, the recent string of quakes is probably just coincidence.

• Bob Holdsworth, an expert in tectonics at Durham University, said Monday that "I can definitely tell you that the world is not coming to an end."

• Bernard Doft, the seismologist for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, says there is no direct connection between the lethal quakes that have struck Haiti, Chile and Turkey.

• "These events are too far apart to be of direct influence to each other," he said. • Although the Haitian quake occurred along a fault that had seen no major event for 250 years,

both Chile and Turkey are prone to devastating quakes. • "It was by accident that it happened at approximately the same time," he said. • Monday's quake in Turkey had a 6.0 magnitude. On average, there are 134 earthquakes a year

that have a magnitude between a 6.0 and 6.9, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This year is off to a fast start with 40 so far - more than in most years for that period of time.

• But that's because the 8.8 quake in Chile generated a large number of strong aftershocks, and so many occurring this early in the year skews the picture, said USGS seismologist Paul Earle.

• "Years that have large quakes are likely to be higher in overall seismicity," Earle said. The Chilean quake was the sixth strongest since 1900.

PHOTOS OF RECENT EARTHQUAKES - PHOTOS OF RECENT EARTHQUAKES - CHILECHILE

PHOTOS OF DESTRUCTION IN HAITIPHOTOS OF DESTRUCTION IN HAITI

PHOTOS OF RECENT EARTHQUAKES – PHOTOS OF RECENT EARTHQUAKES – SEISMIC DESTRUCTIONSEISMIC DESTRUCTION

MORE PHOTOS OF HAITI EQMORE PHOTOS OF HAITI EQ

OTHER EFFECTS OF EQSOTHER EFFECTS OF EQS

• What is tsunami?• Tsunami is a Japanese word with the English translation, "harbor

wave." The phenomenon we call tsunami is a series of large waves of extremely long wavelength and period usually generated by a violent, impulsive undersea disturbance or activity near the coast or in the ocean.

• Tsunamis can be generated when the sea floor abruptly deforms and vertically displaces the overlying water. Tectonic earthquakes are a particular kind of earthquakes that are associated with the earth's crustal deformation; when these earthquakes occur beneath the sea, the water above the deformed area is displaced from its equilibrium position. Waves are formed as the displaced water mass, which acts under the influence of gravity, attempts to regain its equilibrium. When large areas of the sea floor elevate or subside, a tsunami can be created.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?WHAT CAN BE DONE?

• Loss of life can be avoided through emergency planning, education, and the construction of buildings that sway rather than break under the stress of an earthquake.

• You can't prevent an earthquake. But you can:

  be prepared to avoid injury  be prepared to minimize damage to your home  be prepared to survive afterwards for at least 72 hours without help.

Your emergency suppliesYour emergency supplies

• Be prepared to be on your own without help for 72 hours or more--- at home, in your car, at work. Assemble these emergency supplies and keep them in your emergency kit, stored in a secure place, ideally accessible from outside

WANT TO DO MOREWANT TO DO MORE??• Now that you've taken care of the basics, you may want to take additional steps to protect

yourself and others. Remember- you may be on your own for 72 hours or more. What you do will depend on your particular situation. You could:

• Volunteer any special skills you have to your Municipal Emergency Program Co-ordinator.

• Involve your neighborhood in earthquake preparedness... by helping elderly neighbors to prepare their homes, by agreeing to check on each other after an earthquake and to care for pets.

•  Plan for special needs for infants, the elderly and the handicapped, in case pharmacies and other stores are closed for several days. If your family includes people with impaired mobility, hearing or sight, see the list of useful contacts at the end of this document to get special preparedness details for them. If you depend on electric power for life support or a wheelchair, you may wish to have a small generator with extra fuel handy.

• Review the supplies that you would need to be self-sufficient and comfortable for at least 72 hours. In addition to basics, there are many items such as plastic sheets or dust masks that you may want to acquire, or perhaps games and comfort items for children. Sources of advice are shown below.

Planning for earthquakes will also help prepare you for many other emergencies.

• Be prepared, not scared.

Still need more information?Still need more information?

•If you require more information, please note your request on a piece of paper with your name, address and telephone number, then mail it to:

B.C. Earthquake Informationc/o Insurance Bureau of Canada510 Burrard Street, Suite 1010 Vancouver, B.C V6C 3A8 Fax: (604) 294-1524

• For further information contact:Your Local Emergency Program