Question: What can families do to reduce the impact of earthquakes?

  1. Hi 6fkabrea, I think the biggest thing you can do to reduce the impact of earthquakes is to educate and prepare yourself really well. First off, if you live in an earthquake prone area you should be aware of this! There is a fault in Utah that I did some fieldwork on and although it hasn’t ruptured in quite a long time it is still active and people build houses there all the time. It is completely unsafe and irresponsible.

    You and your family should make a plan in case of an earthquake as to what the safe places are indoors and outdoors and pick a place to meet if you get separated. Placing heavy objects on the floor or lowering them. Make sure light fixtures, cabinets, shelves, paintings, etc. are securely fastened to walls or ceilings. Make sure that your home is up to earthquake code. Most earthquake prone cities these days have specific requirements for buildings to be made safe. You can also have emergency supplies stocked up in your house in case an earthquake does occur. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, but I think that’s a start.

    0

  2. Families should prepare to know what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Before an earthquake people should get emergency kits (with things such as food, water, first aid kit, flashlights, extra clothes, etc) and put them in accessible places in homes and offices. Then people should take a look at places to take shelter in case an earthquake occurs (under tables and sturdy furniture, away from windows) and have practice drills. During an earthquake people should find take duck and cover under the strong furniture and hold to it until the shaking stops. After the earthquake, people should exit the building and reunite with family as planned before the earthquake. We know that earthquakes will occur, so we must prepare for them.

    0

  3. Being prepared for an earthquake is the most important thing when living in an earthquake prone area.
    As Jesse and Daniel explained, if you take the right precautions, you are likely to reduce the impact.
    Making sure your house is built to withstand an earthquake is also important, although I guess this could be expensive to build/implement into a house which has already been built.
    I think making sure you know where to go, what to do, following precautions suggesting by the local government, taking part in earthquake drills and having extra emergency supplies are probably the most important thing a family could do to help reduce the effect of an earthquake.

    0

  4. They should be prepare and know in advance what to do. This is the most important thing, because in case of an emergency you don’t have time to think, or phone someone to ask, so it is crucial that everybody, from kids to grandparents, knows how to react.
    For example, it’s important to know which is the safest place in their house: the basement, or nearby a specific wall, or under the table, or outside, in a public square, it depends. Then it is important to always keep some food like biscuits and few bottles of water nearby these safe places, so you could live there for few days in case it’s not safe to go out.
    But of course, it depends on where you live! You should first know if the area where your house (or your school) is at risk, and then ask the authorities or the police, where are the safest places in your district, and what each family is supposed to do in case of emergency: if you live in a risky area, the police has certainly an emergency plan ready, and you can probably check it out on their website.

    0

  5. Dear 6fkabrea,

    You seem to like the topic of natural disasters, as your questions have a certain trend! I love it too! 🙂

    To reduce the impact of an earthquake, the most important issue is to be prepared. Practice drills are pretty common in countries where earthquakes are common, together with establishing evacuation plans. Families should also gather a number of emergency supplies, although this is not solely related with an earthquake, but also with any other natural disaster.

    Have you ever experienced an earthquake?

    0

Comments