Preparedness Tuesday: Earthquakes

It's Preparedness Tuesday - each Tuesday I post one thing you can do to help prepare you and your family for everyday disasters - be it job loss, bad weather (between being stuck in the middle of hurricane season, and the coming colder winter we're predicted), or even that ugly recession they keep talking about (blech!)

This week I am talking about earthquake preparedness. Fifty bucks says half of you will stop reading this now, thinking you don't live in an earthquake zone. ;) Dallas, a few weeks ago, anyone? Or how about St. Louis? Just because you don't live in an area notorious for earthquakes, doesn't mean one might not pop up out of the blue, or that you won't ever travel in an area where it could happen!

If an earthquake strikes, you don't need to head for the nearest door frame. You can duck and cover your neck with your arms, and hide underneath a table or counter. Try not to stay in a kitchen or near any gas appliances if you can! As soon as the area you are in stops shaking, grab your safety bag or purse, your kids or pets, and head outside, as far away from any buildings as you can.

If you're in a car, stop driving and stay in your car, but not under an over path or on a bridge. Be careful that you stop far away from anything that can fall on your car!

Hopefully any earthquakes you ever encounter are small ones. But if it's one of a bigger magnitude:

Have a plan - what do you do if you are at home, your husband or wife is at work, and the kids are at school or daycare? Who tries to picks up the kids? Do you have a safe spot you can meet at? Remember, in any major emergency, power could be out, land lines not work, and cell phone receptions down.

I've talked about this before, in my Paperwork post. If you've already gotten your papers together, great! If not, this is definitely another reason to have your important papers together and your home documented. This way, you can simply grab the files/folders/bag, grab your kids and/or pets, and quickly make it out of your home to a safe designated location.

If you have a gas leak, a person trapped, or a major injury, call 911. For almost any other reason, refrain from calling 911 so you don't overload the circuits during an emergency!

For more random preparedness thoughts from my blog, click here.