Prepare in a Year Month 10: Drop, Cover, & Hold on
The Washington State Military Department (WSMD) has created a simple one-year guide—Prepare in a Year—to help people tackle one task per month. We will follow it here to help you prepare in one category every thirty days so that you will make progress monthly and feel ready by the end of the year. If you are preparing your family, make sure your family members know what to do as well. If you are preparing your business, make sure your colleagues or employees are up to date.
Our task for October is to Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
Earthquake preparation involves knowing what to do when an earthquake starts and what to do when the shaking stops.
During
What you do in an earthquake depends partly on where you are when it happens and what your specific circumstances are. But, in general, the advice is the same: Protect yourself—especially your head and internal organs—from falling and flying objects.
Indoors
The best information on earthquake safety recommends that people not run away but instead follow the simple three-step process of dropping, covering, and holding on.
Drop: Getting low to the ground on your knees will help you avoid flying glass and will ensure that you don’t get knocked down by the shaking. Bend over to protect your vital organs.
Cover: Because earthquakes send items falling off shelves, knock down furniture and debris, and break windows and other glass objects, you need to cover yourself. Use one arm to cover your head and neck or, better yet, crawl under a nearby sturdy desk or table. The next best option is to crawl to an interior wall away from windows or lie down on the ground next to a solid piece of furniture, like a couch, covering your head with your arm. If you can safely, pull pets under cover as well.
Hold: During an earthquake, buildings, furniture, and walls move a lot, sometimes up and down and sometimes back and forth. If you’re under a solid piece of furniture, use one hand to hold on to it so you don’t get shaken out from under cover.
If you’re in bed, stay in bed and cover yourself with blankets and pillows until the shaking stops.
DON’T use an elevator.
Outside
What if you’re not indoors? Get away from tall things that can fall, like buildings, trees, utility poles and wires, and street lamps. When the shaking stops, be careful when you move. Stay 30 feet away from downed wires and watch out for road and bridge damage and tall objects that may yet fall.
In a Vehicle
If you’re in a vehicle when the shaking starts, pull over. Do your best to stop where you won’t get crushed by tall, falling objects. Set your brake so your vehicle doesn’t roll all over the place. If your vehicle is hit by a power line, don’t get out of the car until a professional can help you.
Near the Coast
Once the shaking has stopped, you need to get to higher ground to avoid a potential tsunami. Follow the tsunami evacuation signs as soon as you can; don’t wait for a siren or other official notification.
In a Wheelchair or When Using an Assistive Device
If you are in a wheelchair or using a walker when the shaking starts, lock your brake, bend at the waist cover your head with your arm or something you can grab, and hold on. If you are using a cane, drop, cover, and hold on.
When Trapped
If you have been covered or blocked by debris and cannot escape, follow these steps:
Do NOT light a match.
Cover your mouth and nose with fabric.
Try not to move, which can kick up dust.
Try not to shout as this can cause you to inhale more dust.
Tap on a pipe or wall to draw attention to your location. Use a whistle if you have one.
After
After the shaking stops, you need to pay attention to four main concerns: dealing with injuries, preventing further injury, ensuring the place you are is safe, and communications.
Injuries
The main injuries you need to deal with right away are bleeding injuries and cardiac arrest/not breathing. Sign up for CPR/AED and Stop the Bleed training so you will know what to do in these events.
If you have a life-threatening injury or have come across someone who does, call 911 to see if you can get help. If you’re part of the Map Your Neighborhood program, reach out to neighbors for help with the injury. Your neighborhood will activate to get the injured to the nearest disaster hub. The hub will be in contact with the City and the Fire Department and will help with triage and getting definitive care for the people who most need it.
Preventing Further Injury
Many injuries happen right after the earthquake when people cut themselves on broken glass, injure themselves on sharp or heavy objects, or are struck by falling objects during aftershocks, for example. If they are accessible, put on your hard hat, gloves, sturdy shoes, and safety goggles and move with caution.
Checking Safety of Situation
As soon as you are able, turn off your propane to prevent fire.
Turn off your water to prevent flooding and, if your pipes have broken, to keep the water in your water heater tank safe from contaminants.
If wiring is damaged, turn off electrical power.
Inspect for structural damage. Remember that there are likely to be aftershocks. What is partly damaged may collapse.
If the building is unsafe, evacuate.
Clean up spilled chemicals that could be ingested by pets or that are flammable.
Check sewer lines before using the toilet.
if there is no fire, put your fire extinguishers outside where neighbors can see them and use them if needed.
Communication
Activate your communications plan.
Reach out via text to your out-of-state contact to give them your status.
Turn on your emergency radio to listen for information.
Post your OK/Help sign on the front door to inform your neighbors of your status.
Before
There is one last area of earthquake preparation and that happens before the quake and consists of getting three weeks ready: gathering supplies, such as food and water, to last three weeks. Read more about that here.
