Welcome to Week 5.  In preparation for the Great Shakeout on October 16, we'll be talking this week about earthquake and tsunami preparedness. 

What actions do we take before, during and after an earthquake/tsunami?  How can you protect yourself, your family and your home?

BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE

Protect your Home

• Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, water heaters, televisions and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves.
• Consider making improvements to your building to fix structural issues that could cause your building to collapse during an earthquake.
• Consider financial planning for disasters and obtaining an earthquake insurance policy. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage.

THE IMPORTANT OF DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON

It is important to know how to drop, cover, and hold on during an earthquake. By memorizing these steps, you will be better prepared and can help reduce the likelihood of injury to yourself and your others in your vicinity. 

So, what is drop, cover and hold on? Here are the steps to help you learn how to protect yourself during an earthquake:

1.  DROP

As soon as you notice the first signs of an earthquake, drop onto your hands and knees. Earthquakes are very powerful and might knock you down if you remain standing, which could cause injury.

By dropping to the floor and staying low, you will be in a more stable, safe position. From a dropped position, you can also crawl to cover. If you are seated and cannot drop to the floor, you should still follow steps 2 and 3: Cover and Hold On.

2.  COVER

Even small items in your home, such as a vase on a bookshelf or a framed photo on the wall, could cause severe injury if they fall onto you during an earthquake.

First, cover your head and neck with one arm while you seek out a more protective shelter. If there is a sturdy desk or table nearby, you can crawl underneath for cover. If no such furniture is accessible, crawl next to an interior wall and get as far away from windows as possible. Regardless of your location, remain dropped on your knees and bend over to protect your head and vital organs. 

3.  HOLD ON

After the initial jolt, there is still a chance of aftershocks, building damage, and other dangers. Because of this, it is important to hold on until you are no longer in immediate danger. Until the shaking stops, stay in your covered, dropped position.

Furniture might shift around during the earthquake, so if the table or desk you are under moves, you need to be prepared to move with it. So, you should hold on to your shelter with one hand in order to stay close to it. If you aren’t sheltered under furniture, use both arms and hands to hold on to your head and neck.

WHAT TO DO IN OTHER SITUATIONS

The random nature of earthquakes means that one very well could strike while you are away from home. Here’s what to do in a variety of specific situations:

• IN BED: Stay in bed and lie down. Hold on to your head and neck with both hands. You can cover your head and neck with a pillow for additional protection.
• OUTDOORS: If you can safely do so, head to an open, clear area free of hazards like trees, street signs, buildings, and vehicles. Be mindful that objects might still fall from the side, so follow the drop, cover, and hold on rules to protect yourself.
• DRIVING: Stay inside your vehicle. When it is safe to do so, pull over to the side of the road, come to a complete stop, and activate the parking brake. Try to avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, and other potential dangers. When you resume driving, be sure to avoid damaged areas of the highway or road, and stay clear of emergency service vehicles.
• IN A STORE: You can follow the same general drop, cover, and hold on principles as you would in your home. Use what is around you for cover, such as a shopping cart or clothing racks. 
• NEAR THE SHORE: If you are near a body of water or the coast, you’ll still want to follow the drop, cover, and hold on procedure. Then, when shaking reduces, move inward or to higher ground in case of a tsunami. If possible, walk to avoid traffic slowdowns.

MORE TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

As soon as the ground stops shaking, assess your situation. If possible, move to higher ground or a safer location, especially if you are in a landslide or tsunami inundation zone. Take a moment to check around you for any new hazards that may have formed, such as leaking gas lines, building damage or collapse, or broken water or electric lines. If there are any injuries to yourself or those around you, use your first aid training to provide assistance.

Next, we’ll spend some time talking about tsunamis and tsunami evacuation.  FEMA has a number of good resources to help you determine how to prepare before and stay safe during a tsunami, but our focus this week will be on getting citizens acquainted with tsunami risk specific to Lane County.  

What is the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ)?

If you're unfamiliar with the potential source for tsunami in Lane County, start this week by reading up on the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ).  The CSZ is underwater fault line about 80 miles off our coast that produces a major earthquake every 300-500 years (the last CSZ earthquake/tsunami occurred in 1700). 

When a CSZ earthquake occurs, it sends a tsunami to the local shore in as little as 15 minutes, so it is critical once the shaking stops for anyone in the tsunami inundation zone to move to high ground.

Where is Tsunami Inundation Zone?

The first step in preparing for tsunami evacuation is to consider the locations where you live, work and play.  Once you've identified your common places, figure out which of them are in the tsunami inundation zone by using a couple different resources: Access inundation maps online to find locations by community or visit the interactive NANOOS site where you can type in an address to determine a variety of hazards that impact your area.  At a glance, green is the high ground you're aiming for, and yellow represents the largest tsunami anticipated on the Oregon Coast...the worst-case scenario.

Plan Your Route

Okay, now that you've had time to look, did you find that one of your frequented places is in the inundation zone?  If so, use the online maps again, this time to identify the route you would take to safe ground following an earthquake/tsunami.  

Pack a Kit

Don't wait until an emergency to practice evacuation.  First, pack a kit of the necessary items you would need if you had to leave your home quickly-- also, make sure to have a pair of boots and flashlight next to the bed ready to grab.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Next, practice grabbing your bag and walking along evacuation route(s).  Practice with friends, practice at a moment's notice, and practice in the dark.  Consider the following:

✅ How long does it take? 

✅ What potential obstacles you might encounter along the way? 

✅ What might change about the route(s) after an earthquake?

✅ How fast will you need to travel to make it safely to high ground?

✅ How would you plan differently for winter/summer and day/night?