Earth quake
It's recommended to have one gallon of water per day per
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the
shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting from the sudden
release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic
waves. Earthquakes can range in size from those that are so weak
that they cannot be felt to those violent enough to toss people
around and destroy whole cities. The seismicity or seismic activity of
an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes
experienced over a period of time.
What to Do Before an Earthquake
Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery-
powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries at home.
Learn first aid.
Learn how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity.
Make up a plan of where to meet your family after an earthquake.
Don't leave heavy objects on shelves (they'll fall during a quake).
Anchor heavy furniture, cupboards, and appliances to the walls or
floor.
Learn the earthquake plan at your school or workplace.
What to Do During an Earthquake
Stay calm! If you're indoors, stay inside. If you're outside, stay
outside.
If you're indoors, stand against a wall near the center of the building,
stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture (a desk or table).
Stay away from windows and outside doors.
If you're outdoors, stay in the open away from power lines or
anything that might fall. Stay away from buildings (stuff might fall off
the building or the building could fall on you).
Don't use matches, candles, or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire
don't mix.
If you're in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the
earthquake stops.
Don't use elevators (they'll probably get stuck anyway).
What to Do After an Earthquake
Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid for anyone
who needs it.
Check water, gas, and electric lines for damage. If any are damaged,
shut off the valves. Check for the smell of gas. If you smell it, open all
the windows and doors, leave immediately, and report it to the
authorities (use someone else's phone).
Turn on the radio. Don't use the phone unless it's an emergency.
Stay out of damaged buildings.
Be careful around broken glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy
shoes to keep from cutting your feet.
Be careful of chimneys (they may fall on you).
Stay away from beaches. Tsunamis and seiches sometimes hit after
the ground has stopped shaking.
Stay away from damaged areas.
If you're at school or work, follow the emergency plan or the
instructions of the person in charge.
Expect aftershocks.
Need to bring
Water.
person or pet. You should keep at least three gallons each per
person or pet at home.
Food. You should have at least three days' worth of food.
Concentrate on non-perishable food that doesn't require
refrigeration or much prep and water. Consider cereal, ready-to-eat
canned fruits (or canned veggies, juice and meat), or energy-rich
snacks like trail mix and granola bars. Remember to have vitamins
and special supplies around for anyone with special needs, such as
pets, babies and the elderly.
Medication. Have some extra medication on hand for times when
disaster strikes and you can't leave your home to refill your
prescription. Remember to also store over-the-counter medication
like painkillers, antihistamines, calamine lotion, Alka-Seltzer,
laxatives, anti-diarrhea medication, sterile eyewash, and contact
lenses (if you use them).
First aid kit. It should have latex gloves, gauze pads, a thermometer,
sterile bandages, Band-Aids, petroleum jelly, salve for burns,
antibiotic ointment, adhesive tape, towelettes, hand sanitizers,
sunscreen, and instant cold packs.
Tools and supplies. This includes items such as candles, matches in a
waterproof container, scissors, tweezers, a sewing kit, a flashlight,
extra batteries, a small fire extinguisher, a manual can opener, a
knife, a hand-crank or battery-operated radio (with batteries), and a
wrench to turn off gas and water. Be sure to also have a map of the
area in case you need to look for a shelter.
Hygiene products. Toilet paper, feminine products and toiletries.
Cleaning products. Garbage bags, dish soap, bleach, disinfectant.
Clothing. Rain gear, at least one outfit, work boots or durable
sneakers, and thermal underwear.
Important documents and items. Cash, driver's license, passport,
social security card, family records, bank account numbers, and a list
of important and emergency phone numbers. Make sure you have a
copy of your will, insurance policies, and other contracts and deeds.
Miscellaneous items. Blankets, sleeping bags, paper cups, paper
plates and plastic utensils.
Volcanic Eruption
Here are precautionary measures before volcanic eruptions:
1. Each one should be aware of the dangers that volcanic eruptions
pose to lives and be prepared to face whatever circumstances the
eruption may bring.
2. Prepare all necessary things to bring once evacuation is needed.
Those in danger zones are warned when to evacuate. Once given the
signal refrain from saying you will be all right. Refusing to evacuate
will pose more serious problems.
3. Store as much food, water, light sources and batteries that are
very useful in case of emergency.
4. Volcanic eruptions have ash falls so be prepared for masks or
anything to cover nose and mouth.
5. Prioritize the safety of kids before other things. If you have
relatives or friends who are far from the volcano, take your children
there until such time that your place is safe.
Here are precautionary measures during volcanic eruptions:
1. Avoid all low-lying places because lava flows and mudflows are
more likely to pass here.
2. Seek cover in case of ash falls rock falls.
3. Use masks and cover your mouth and nose to avoid breathing in
ashes.
4. If you are inside a house; close all doors and windows to avoid
ashes from getting inside.
5. Always stay indoors.
6. Stay in the evacuation center until further instructions. Do not
attempt to leave the place unless told to do.
7. Keep a watchful eye on the kids because they might be tempted
to go out and see whats going on outside.
Here are precautionary measures after volcanic eruptions:
1. Go back to your house but leave the kids behind someone who
can take care of them while you check your house.
2. Clean everything around and check all damages incurred.
3. Use masks while cleaning ash and other debris.
4. Wait for further announcements related to the volcano activities.
5. Make sure that your house is still safe for all of you.
1883 eruption of
Krakatoa
The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in the Dutch East Indies (now
Indonesia) began in the afternoon of Sunday, 26 August 1883 (with
origins as early as May of that year), and peaked in the late morning
of Monday, 27 August when over 70% of the island and its
surrounding archipelago were destroyed as it collapsed into a
caldera. Additional seismic activity was reported to have continued
until February 1884, though reports of seismic activity after October
1883 were later dismissed by Rogier Verbeek's investigation into the
eruption. The 1883 eruption was one of the deadliest and most
destructive volcanic events in recorded history. At least 36,417
deaths are attributed to the eruption and the tsunamis it created.
Significant additional effects were also felt around the world in the
days and weeks after the volcano's destruction.
Impact The final explosive eruption was heard 4,830 km (3,000
miles) away, caused at least 36,417 deaths; 20 million tons of sulfur
released into the atmosphere; produced a volcanic winter (reducing
worldwide temperatures by an average of 1.2 C (2.2 F) for five
years)
Volcano: Krakatoa caldera
Date: 26-27 August 1883
Type: Ultra Plinian
Location: Krakatoa archipelago
6.102S 105.423E
Made in Japan:
Earthquake-Proof Homes
What better way to avoid tragedy then, but by tossing a house in
the air when an earthquake comes?
That's the general idea behind the levitating house developed by the
Japanese company Air Danshin. The product of inventor Shoichi
Sakamoto, the house sits, during more stable times, on a deflated air
bag. When sensors feel a tremor, they switch on a compressor
within a second. The compressor pumps air into an airbag, inflating
it within a few more seconds, and ultimately lifting the entire house
a good three centimeters off its supposedly earthquake-proof
concrete foundation. There the structure will hover, its inhabitants
able to casually go about their business, for the duration of the
quake. Then the airbag deflates and the house gently settles back
down.
The company built such a house on a "shake table" and equipped it
with a few inhabitants, some furniture, and a couple of glasses of
wine. When the mock tremors hit, in front of a rapt, hardhat-
outfitted audience, the denizens hardly noticed, and not a drop of
wine was spilled. The system will be added to new, otherwise
typically built homes of an appropriate weight, and can be
retrofitted to existing structures as well.
Minimizing Damage
"It would take care of a smaller earthquake, I would think," says
Deke Smith, Executive Director of the Building Seismic Safety Council
and the buildingSMART alliance, part of the National Institute of
Building Sciences, Washington, DC. "It would dampen some of the
motions certainly. I think it would be more of a comfort thing than a
minimizing damage thing. But I don't know that if you invested in it
that you will have eliminated any problems with earthquakes for
your structure."
Air Danshin's shake test dealt only with side-to-side motion and
most earthquakes are not limited to a two-dimensional plane. Three
centimeters of levitation will only protect a house from earthquakes
that don't rise higher than three centimeters. Never mind the
question of what would happen to a floating house hit by a tall wave
of a quake. It would likely slip right off its foundation. Or,
conceivably, a strong tornado might more easily carry the structure
off to Oz.
Improving Design
Another problem is that the first tremors that would activate the
system may very well be the biggest, most destructive tremors of
the earthquake. The airbag, were it able to inflate, might be pushing
up against the rubble of an already damaged house. "Each
earthquake has its own signature," says Smith. "Some might have a
big jolt in the beginning, some in the end, some in the middle."
Unfortunately, our seismic sensors are not yet at the level of those
animals, including dogs, that can sense earthquakes before they
happen, and long before humans or their technology do so. "If they
figure that out, then you'd have something," says Smith.
However, even if Air Danshin's system is only good for that rare,
lateral shaking earthquake which never moves the earth higher than
three centimeters, and saves its biggest jolts for its finale, 88
Japanese homes are soon to be retrofit with the airbag and its
assemblage. That's 88 experiments that will provide some data after
the next quake. At approximately three million Yen a pop (over
$37,000), it's also a sizable chunk of change.
"Going out and building some of them is good," says Smith. "That's
how we keep improving. It may be an idea that will spur somebody
else's thoughts in some other direction. It may be a viable piece to a
larger solution someday."