Surviving an Earthquake

1. Surviving an Earthquake Matanuska-Susitna Borough Department of Emergency Services Division of Emergency Management Presented by Allen Markle

2. Surviving an EarthquakeOverview • Hazard and Risk Assessment • Preparedness • Home • Work • Pets • Community • Go Kits • Communication • Finance • Structural Mitigation at Home • Training • Response • Drop, Cover and Hold-on • Structural Assessment • Care for Injured • Suppress the hazards • Report Damage to Public Safety Officials • Recovery • Re-unification • Backup Facility • Mental Health

3. Surviving an Earthquake School Damages

4. Surviving an Earthquake Damages

5. Surviving an Earthquake

6. Hazard and Risk Assessment • Hazard: A source of danger • Seismic • Structural • Environment • Impact • Vulnerability: Open to attack or damage • Where am I most vulnerable at home, work, or travel • Utilities • Roadway/Bridges • Mitigation: The effort to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact • Building codes (structural, water heater, gas shut off valves) • Preparedness • Training • Do not travel to hazard zone • Consequence Management: Actions taken to maintain or restore essential services • Go bags • Communication • Backup resources • Risk: The possibility of loss or injury • Probability • What risks are you willing to take?

7. Home Preparedness • Home • Make a family plan • Sign up for warnings and alerts • Make a plan (ready.gov) • Know safe spots in every room • Save money for a rainy day • Practice emergency earthquake drills • Test family communications plan • Safeguard documents • Plan with neighbors • Know evacuation routes and where go kits are located • Food/water/medicine/first aid kit • Document and insure property

8. Pet Preparedness • Pets • Food: Keep 7 days in an airtight, waterproof container • Water: Store 7 days specifically for your pet • Medicine/Medical Records: Keep an extra supply in waterproof container • First Aid Kit: Tailored to your pet’s medical needs. Include pet first aid reference book • Collar with ID Tag, Harness and Leash: Pet should wear rabies tag and ID tag at all times. Especially after a disaster to re-unify with owners and help ID they are not a public health risk to populations • Important Documents: Place copies of pet’s registration info, adoption, vaccinations, medical records in clean plastic bag or waterproof container • Crate or other pet carrier: If you need to evacuate to an emergency shelter with may help transport and housing. Pets ARE NOT allowed in all shelters, secure lodging in advance • Sanitation: Litter and litter box, newspapers, paper towels, plastic bags, household cleaning supplies • Picture of You and Your Pets: Helps in re-unification with family members. Include detailed info, breed, age, species, sex, color, etc… Consider microchipping • Familiar Items: Favorite toys and bedding to help reduce stress • Identify in your family disaster plan who is responsible to evacuate which pet and how you will assemble pets. Have a list of veterinarian services available • Livestock: Arrange holding area large enough for herd. Maintain herd information, to include financial report

9. Work Preparedness • Work preparations • Natural disaster impact • Immediate: 40% small businesses will not re-open • One year: 25% more small businesses will close • Three years: 75% of all small businesses without a CoB Plan will fail • Average DAILY loss of a business that closes due to disaster • $3,000 small business • $23,000 medium-sized business • Why are these important? • Small businesses account for 99% of all companies • Employ 50% of all private sector employees

10. Work Preparedness • Business Impact Analysis • Hazard • Vulnerability • Mitigation • Consequence management • Recovery Strategy • Identify and documents resource requirements • Gap analysis • Recovery strategies • Develop a Plan • How to continue to operate • Relocation • IT • Take Action • Train employees • Exercise • Re-evaluate

11. Work Preparedness • Back-to-Business Self-Assessment questions for impacts analysis • Can you operate without computers, fax, equipment, cash register, card readers, inventory (how long will on-hand resalable inventory last) • Can you operate without utilities, internet, wifi, power, water, gas • Can you still operate without access to the damaged building • Can you pay employees, for how long and will they return • Can employees commute to work or telecommute • Is business still accessible to customers, deliveries, employees • How to communicate with employees, vendors, customers • Do you need to relocate • Have you set priorities of work • Are suppliers up and running and have sufficient supplies • Are you able to ship products • Do you still have customers/clients • Will your losses be too much to survive if closed for 3 to 7 days

12. Community Preparedness • Community for emergency planners is defined by geographical boundaries • Less than 10% of residents actively participate in local government activity • There are numerous communities with a “community” • Neighborhoods • HOAs, cul-de-sac, street, districts • Faith based • Church groups • Hobby based • Car, ski, airplane clubs, crafts, the sky is the limit…if it’s out there there’s a club for it • Personal • Family and friends • Professional • Co-workers, Unions, PTAs, whatever your family line of work there is an association for it • Social Media • Can help in preparedness, but must consider geographic separation and mostly less personal than local community • Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer • American Red Cross, CERT, COAD • Know your jurisdiction’s and employer’s emergency plans and how they may affect you

13. Go Kits Preparedness • Car, work, and home • Food & water. Prefer 7 days worth • Shelter/warmth • Keep in mind time of year • Vehicle kit • Money • Medications • Sanitation • First Aid • Flashlight and/or lanterns with batteries • Candles • Whistle • Radio • Basic tools • Fire extinguisher • Plastic sheeting and duct tape for windows/openings (home)

14. Communications Preparedness “What if something happens and I’m not with my family?” “Will I be able to reach them?” “How will I know they are safe?” “How can I let them know I’m OK?” During a disaster, you will need to send and receive information from your family • Communication networks, such as mobile phones and computers, could be unreliable during disasters, and electricity could be disrupted. Planning in advance will help ensure that all the members of your household—including children and people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, as well as outside caregivers—know how to reach each other and where to meet up in an emergency • Text vs cell call • School, childcare, caregiver emergency plans • Need to know their plans and how to stay informed. Make sure all family members know what to do in case of loss of communications. Keep information up-to-date with institution • Have an out-of-town contact • Someone who can act as a central point of contact for re-unification • Emergency meeting places • Indoor • In your neighborhood • Outside of your neighborhood • Outside of your town or city • In what circumstance to meet, family could be geographically separated…what is the trigger point? • Maintain all important numbers/contacts. Utilities, Insurance, and Doctors • Make copies of the family communication plan for each member of your family to carry in his or her wallet, backpack, purse, cell phone • Make sure all members and out-of-town contact know how to text, create chat/email group, and alternate ways to communicate • Discuss what to text, “I’m OK, At Library”. Short abbreviated messages • Conserve any mobile phone batteries. Keep remote chargers at full charge.

15. Financial Preparedness • Compile important documents and contacts • Hardcopy and electronic • Review your insurance policies and financial paperwork to be sure they are accurate • Homeowners and Renters insurance adequate • Have a copy of lease • Safeguard paper and electronic files • Fireproof containers • Password protected • Periodically print out pay statements and bills • May have a trusted agent to have a paper copy of info • Update • Update all records on a regular schedule • Tax preparation time, Start/Stop daylight saving time, birthday, new year, etc. • Changes to be made, change insurance provider, purchase home/rent, open/close bank account, marital status, have a child, children change schools, retirement, etc.

16. Home Structure Mitigation Preparedness • Building codes • Exterior • Chimneys, facades, overhangs, brick, foundation • Utility systems • Gas lines/connections, water, duct work, electric, well/septic system • Interior • Foundation walls, drywall, cabinets, stairs • Secure heavy objects to wall • Appliances, furniture, water heaters, shelving • Secure hanging objects • Especially over beds, sofas, chairs • Know where and how to shut off utilities

17. Training Preparedness • Seek out individual training opportunities • FEMA • First Aid • American Red Cross • CERT • All family members should train and practice earthquake drills • Participate in workplace emergency drills • Know school and daycare emergency plans/drills and expectations for re-unification procedures

18. Response • Drop, Cover and Hold-on • On knees • Protect head/neck • Hold on to furniture • Curl into ball • Turn away from windows/mirrors • Close eyes • If wheelchair bound, roll into protected area, apply brake, cover head & eyes • Caregivers and rescuers need to drop, cover and hold-on too • If inside…Stay inside • If outside…Stay outside • In a car or bus • Pull over to safe location • Stop and stay there • Keep seat belt on • After shaking stops, assess the situation • If you are in a high-rise building, expect fire alarms and sprinklers to go off. Do not use elevators • If near slopes, cliffs, or mountains, be alert for falling rocks and landslides

19. Response • Compromise of structures is a major concern during an earthquake. When shaking stops it is important to do an immediate visual “common sense” structural assessment before you move • If trapped in rubble, cover your mouth. Send text, bang on a pipe or wall, or use a whistle instead of shouting • Check yourself for injuries and care for others when safe to do so • Suppress the hazards • Shut off gas • Extinguish fires • Shut off electric • Immediate report situation/damages to Public Safety Officials • Expect aftershocks • Do not enter damaged buildings • Save cell phone for emergency calls, otherwise text • Monitor local programming for further instructions

20. Recovery • Use extreme caution during post-disaster clean-up of buildings and around debris. Do not attempt to move heavy objects by yourself • Be aware of exhaustion, drink water, wear PPE, wash thoroughly & often • Re-unification of family…at least communication • What location to meet • Backup location • Does family or work need to relocate to a secondary, safe location • Does family need to evacuate to local shelter, if so where • Return to home only when authorized by authorities • Insurance/Finance in order • Have a professional inspect your dwelling for safety

21. Mental Health Recovery • Understand effects • Everyone who sees or experiences a disaster is affected in some way • Normal to feel anxious about own safety and that of family • Profound grief, sadness, and anger are common • Acknowledging feelings help recovery • Focus on your strengths • Accept help from community and others • Everyone has different needs and different ways of coping • Children and older adults are of special concern in the aftermath of disasters. Even individuals who experience a disaster “second hand” through exposure to extensive media coverage can be affected • Contact local faith-based organizations, voluntary agencies, or professional counselors for counseling. Additionally, FEMA, state and local governments of the affected area may provide crisis counseling assistance

22. Mental Health Recovery • Helping Kids Cope with Disasters • Disasters can leave children feeling frightened, confused, and insecure. Whether a child has personally experienced trauma, has merely seen the event on television or has heard it discussed by adults, it is important for parents and teachers to be informed and ready to help if reactions to stress begin to occur • Children may respond to disaster by demonstrating fears, sadness or behavioral problems. Younger children may return to earlier behavior patterns, such as bedwetting, sleep problems and separation anxiety. Older children may also display anger, aggression, school problems or withdrawal. Some children who have only indirect contact with the disaster but witness it on television may develop distress • Suggestions to help reassure children include the following: • Personal contact is reassuring. Hug and touch your children • Calmly provide factual information about the recent disaster and current plans for ensuring their safety along with recovery plans • Encourage your children to talk about their feelings • Spend extra time with your children such as at bedtime • Re-establish your daily routine for work, school, play, meals, and rest • Involve your children by giving them specific chores to help them feel they are helping to restore family and community life • Praise and recognize responsible behavior • Understand that your children will have a range of reactions to disasters • Encourage your children to help update your a family disaster plan

23. Surviving an EarthquakeSummary • Know your hazards, how can you mitigate those hazards, and most importantly, what risks are you willing to take? • Prepare your home, to include pets, your work, your community, have go kits, and seek out training or volunteer • When an earthquake happens respond by Drop, Cover, and Hold-on, assess your surroundings, suppress the hazards, and report • After an earthquake, recover by reunifying family, arrange living accommodations, talk with insurers and FEMA, and ensure yourself, family and friends understand the physiological effects

24. Surviving an Earthquake • Please go to www.ready.gov for resources and templates for disaster planning.