Climate Change Emergency Tips: Before An Earthquake

While earthquakes are not as frequent across Canada as they are in other countries, with the climate change we’ve been experiencing, safety measures are just as important. That is why we’ve come back this week for part 4 of our “Climate Change Emergency Tips” series. Once again, we are consulting the trusty Canadian Government’s Manuel for our tips and we hope you find them helpful!

Earthquake tips — Earthquake Warning Sign. CC BY 2.0

First Steps:

To begin with, you should find out what to do before, during and after an earthquake through having an emergency plan and through getting an emergency kit .

Also, you should understand what happens during earthquakes as that could help you determine the right steps to take:

Small Earthquakes: They only last a few seconds. Lights in your home might shake a bit and you could feel a slight vibration under your feet if you are close to the source.
Large Earthquakes: These are, as evident by the name, more serious, last longer and make disastrous impacts. You will definitely feel and hear these types of earthquakes whether you are near or far from the source. You might also see buildings swaying if you are outside and/or feel the buildings shaking and swaying if you are inside.

Check out this video of the earthquake tips in animation form by Ride the Quake:

Before An Earthquake:

Now it’s time we got on to some solid tips to be well prepared whenever the disaster hits. Today we will only be discussing what to do BEFORE an earthquake but keep a lookout for our next posts featuring what to do DURING and AFTER an earthquake!

Now, even before you know that an earthquake is coming, you need to go around your place of residence and think of what would happen to every corner of your house if an earthquake was to hit. What would happen to the painting on the walls? The books on the shelf above your bed? The window right next to your child’s crib? Figure out all the possible accidents then eliminate them. Some simple solutions include:
- Ensuring mirrors, pictures and other hanging objects are fixed to the wall securely to avoid the risk of falling off;
- Moving beds and cribs away from windows and not hanging heavy things on top of them;
- Making sure to have blinds which can help stop broken glass from windows;
- Kid-proofing your cupboards to make sure contents don’t spill out;
- If you have a garage, ensuring all of your belongings are tightly secured to avoid damage and hazardous spills on vehicles is a good step;
- Keeping flammable products in cool, dry areas and away from the heat;
- & Putting anti-skid pads or Velcro under your TVs, computers and other items you don’t want sliding and falling.
Some other things you need to do include:
- Ensuring you’ve spoken to your house insurance company to verify that earthquakes are covered in your plan;
- Also, ensuring your family’s aware of the emergency plan and the whereabouts of the emergency kit we previously mentioned;
- Clearly labeling the on/off buttons for electricity and water in your house to ensure everyone knows how to turn them off when disaster hits is another good step!
If you live in an apartment, work with your landlord to devise an emergency plan. If you’d like further help, you could call your province’s Emergency Management numbers. Ontario’s is 416-314-3723.