Earthquakes: They’re our local force majeure event and you need to be prepared. Fortunately, there are tons of helpful resources!

My first suggestion any time someone asks for guidance: KPCC’s superb podcast, “The Big One”. It’s 9 half-hour episodes, and takes you from “help I’m completely unprepared” to “this is my earthquake kit and this is my earthquake plan”.

Their website is also a treasure trove of factual information. If you have anxiety about this whole situation, let that guide you into creating a solid earthquake kit and plan. If you can’t listen to the above (and I cannot for the life of me find a transcript; sorry ESL/Deaf/HoH people!) each episode page has links to what they’ve spoken about.

Starting from zero: Here’s the FEMA checklist for earthquakes. FEMA’s normal response time is notoriously lacking, to say the least. And we’re now in a pandemic. Take the KPCC suggestion of a few weeks of supplies and add to it. Yes, FEMA says 3 days but have you ever seen them respond to a tornado in 3 days? Be prepared for a month; more if you can. Any prep you do now is going to go a very long way in the future. FEMA response time is also assuming the roads are open and they can even get to us. Prepare for a very long wait.

Magnitude: The 1994 Northridge Earthquake was a 6.7 magnitude earthquake. The “big one” SoCal is expecting is around a 7.8. That’s 44 times stronger than Northridge. The higher magnitude means it will also last longer than Northridge, but where you are is going to play the largest factor in how this quake feels to you. Further reading

Water: You don’t have enough. Really. One gallon per animal, per day. That’s humans, pets, and anything in between. Your house should look like aquatic Horders. LA will most likely be on a “do not drink” order which is beyond a “do not boil” order. And no, you cannot drink from your pool. Further reading

Fire: With earthquakes come fires. You should already have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, at the very least. Time to get more. You think LAFD can get to you when everything else is on fire and the roads are broken?

Shoes and glasses: Keep these by where you sleep.  Preferably close-toed sturdy shoes but even slippers are better than barefoot.  The biggest reason for ER visits in Northridge was glass in people’s feet.

Medications: Have at least a backup month if you can.  Include things like vitamins and supplements if you require them to function.  Remember to check with your household members and pets for a complete list.

Walk. Don’t run. WALK. Yes, this is super scary and if it’s your first quake you’re liable to want to run to your kids or your significant other or pet to try and calm them. Just like when on an airplane, help yourself before you help others.

Once the shaking stops, WALK to them. Running (or even walking) during an earthquake will result in a broken ankle, leg, or worse. And good luck getting to a hospital, where you’ll be so low on the triage list you might as well have stayed home.

Aftershocks: Aftershocks of a 7.8 could be anything smaller than that. Look at the Christchurch, NZ quake as an example.

Earthquakes happen all the time: This is part of the cost of admission to living in SoCal. We tend to only feel the larger ones, but there are quite a few daily.

A quick note on bad advice that will get you killed: Avoid doorways: This is one of the worst things people pass off as fact. Unless you live an adobe house, this is terrible advice. You are safer under a table. Google this. The “triangle of life” is a recipe for death: Again, trying to follow this advice could kill you. Google it.

Page last updated: July 30th, 2020 at 9:45am Pacific (UTC-8)

As always, please remember I am not responsible for your life nor safety. Research the above and make your own decisions–-don’t assume everyone on the internet is correct.