A Guide to Creating an Earthquake Safety Plan

A USGS initiative to mitigate earthquake losses

Sansriti Ranjan

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................4
Need for an Earthquake Safety Plan........................................................................................................4
Causes of an Earthquake......................................................................................................................4
Measurement of Earthquakes..................................................................................................................5
Navigating an Earthquake........................................................................................................................6
Creating an Earthquake Safety Plan.......................................................................................................6
Earthquake Safety Plan............................................................................................................................6
Preparing in Advance............................................................................................................................6
Navigating to Safety during an Earthquake........................................................................................7
Staying safe indoors.............................................................................................................................7
Staying safe outdoors...........................................................................................................................7
Navigating to safety After an Earthquake...........................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................8
References..................................................................................................................................................9

Table of Figures
Figure 1: How an earthquake occurs...........................................................................................................3
Figure 2: Scales used to measure earthquakes.............................................................................................4

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Executive Summary
The 2011 Earthquake in Japan had its epicenter in the Pacific but had its tremors felt on both
sides of the Pacific. Approximately 20,000 people died because of the earthquake which had a
9.0-9.1 magnitude and lasted six minutes causing a tsunami. Earthquakes are highly
unpredictable because there is no methodology yet to predicting their occurrence. Therefore,
researchers rely on historical evidence and knowledge of tectonic plates to understand the impact
and destruction caused. Although this helps build earthquake resistant structures and lay down
foundations that will be rock solid when the situation arises, there is still lack of knowledge and
enforcement of Earthquake Safety Plans. These are essential to navigate safely during
earthquakes with minimum risk or injury. In this guide, the need for an earthquake safety plan is
explained along with the known causes behind earthquakes. The guide then delves deeper into
how to create an earthquake safety plan and the safety plan itself. Having an earthquake safety
plan along with a survival kit ready will help in being prepared and acting when the need arises.

Need for an Earthquake Safety Plan

A lack of thorough preparedness for people living in earthquake-prone regions can lead to
disastrous consequences. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that people living in these regions
have a quick know-how of different tools required, how they will be impacted and what is to be
done to navigate to safety. An earthquake safety plan describes exactly the preparedness required
and a call to action during unforeseen circumstances. Today, most schools and colleges teach
students how to navigate during earthquakes through different workshops and tutorials, but they
are not enough to help students implement it when required. When an earthquake hits, one loses
power, debris falls and depending on the magnitude, there could be a fire or a tsunami. It is
integral that a plan is in place to safely navigate and avoid risk or injury. Creating one’s own
safety plan (tailored based on the location and frequency of earthquakes) will ensure one can
navigate to safety.

Causes of an Earthquake
Earthquakes vary in magnitude and location. Before discussing how to navigate to safety during
and after an Earthquake, one needs to understand their causes and basic terminology. There is no
methodology yet to predicting earthquakes and so researchers rely on historical evidence and
different measurement scales to understand the impact they cause. Earthquakes occur because
stresses build around tectonic plates as they pass over one another. This does not occur
smoothly and builds up a lot of energy. As the plates move eventually, this energy gets released
as seismic waves through the Earth’s crust. This point of occurrence is called the focus and the
point on the ground above the earthquake’s focus is called the epicenter. The seismic waves
emanate radially outward from these points and as the distance from these points increases, the
intensity of the waves reduces. Therefore, within the vicinity of the epicenter the maximum
destruction is caused as is evident with all fault lines across the globe. Two other causes of an
Earthquake are as follows:
 Magma forcing its way in between the plates can lead to tremors on the Earth’s crust

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  Collisional margins or points where continental crust meets another continental crust can
cause an Earthquake due to the pressure generated during the collision.

Figure 1: How an earthquake occurs

Measurement of Earthquakes
Currently, there are two scales which are used to measure Earthquakes:
 Richter scale: It is a logarithmic scale that measures the energy of an Earthquake
 Mercalli scale: It measures the effects of an Earthquake and runs from 1 to 12.

Figure 2: Scales used to measure earthquakes

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Navigating an Earthquake
Most earthquakes occur in the range of 2.0-5.0 on the Richter scale. Since it is logarithmic, an
increase in the magnitude by one scale is 10 times an increase in intensity. Therefore, 5.0 is ten
times the intensity of a 4.0 and 6.0 is 100 times! For people living in earthquake prone regions, it
is important to be prepared at any moment to take charge. The most important preparation is to
be proactive and have all tools and rations ready. In the video series provided with the document,
we explain the tools and techniques one will need to be prepared in the event of an earthquake.
Here we have put together a charter for preparing in advance and navigating to safety during and
after an earthquake. This earthquake safety plan which will vary for different regions and is
essential to use.

Creating an Earthquake Safety Plan

Having basic knowledge about earthquake terminology, one can now build a basic safety plan. In
a safety plan, one should keep in mind the different locations where earthquakes occur. The
pacific plate is in a constant state of movement, therefore on both sides of the Pacific – Japan,
Southeast Asia, North America west coast, Hawaiian Islands there is a major possibility of
earthquakes. This was the sole reason which led to the creation of Pacific Tsunami Warning
System which has saved countless lives since 1965. This also saved numerous lives outside
Japan during the 2011 earthquake. To learn from the tragedy of Japan, extensive data has been
collected about the wave measurements by researchers. This has built tsunami mitigation
strategies and has led to free and open exchange of global data to model and predict tsunamis.
Using these strategies and data, the following guide has been created to build an earthquake
safety plan.

Earthquake Safety Plan

An earthquake safety plan consists of following different protocols for navigating to safety
during and after an earthquake. Moreover, it includes a plan of action to follow:
Preparing in Advance
These steps can be followed beforehand by having the tools mentioned here ready at home in a
safe place. If at a workplace or school, learn the protocols and emergency exits there and be
aware of any policies or changes. The steps to be followed are as follows:
 Learn First Aid and how to give First Aid to others (get CPR certified).
 Have basic knowledge about household utilities and learn how to turn off the water, gas
and electricity supply.
o Keep a wrench ready for turning off gas valves.
 Teach one’s family how to be proactive and where to meet after an earthquake.
 Anchor heavy objects and furniture to the walls or floor.
 Learn the earthquake plan at the workplace and school.
 Pick safe spots at home, workplace, or school. A safe spot can be under a piece of
furniture or against an interior wall away from heavy objects that could fall on one.
 Practice DROP, COVER and HOLD in the safe locations.

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  Have access to NOAA broadcasts and remain alert:
o There are online NOAA radio apps available on the AppStore or PlayStore.
o The Red Cross Store has access to battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA radio.
o Keep a flashlight and low-heeled shoes by each person’s bed.

Navigating to Safety during an Earthquake

During an earthquake, due to the constant motion, there is danger of falling debris, making it
important to quickly navigate to safety. The following protocols require one to be alert and
proactive to get to safety.
Staying safe indoors
These steps can be followed to stay safe inside homes, workplaces, and schools:
 DROP, COVER and HOLD ON in one’s safe spot.
o Have minimum movement as most of the injuries occur due to people moving
around or falling.
o Protect the head and torso.
o If one is in bed, stay there, curl up and cover the head.
 Stay Indoors until the shaking stops completely and it is safe to get up and exit.
o To exit out of the building, ALWAYS use the stairs and not the elevator in case of
aftershocks, power outages or other damages.
 Be aware of sprinklers and smoke alarms that frequently go off in buildings during an
earthquake even if there is no fire.
 If there is a slightest smell of gas or leakage, get as far away from the house as possible.
 Before leaving, one must ensure there is no debris that can fall on them.
Staying safe outdoors
If one is caught outdoors during an earthquake, these steps can be followed to stay safe:
 Move to a clear area (no power lines, buildings, or trees) with caution and alertness.
 If one is driving, pull to the side of the road and stop.
o Stay inside the vehicle with the seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops.
o After the shaking has stopped, drive carefully, avoiding areas that have been
damaged.
 If one is in a mountainous region, watch out for rocks and other falling debris along with
landslides.
 If one is on the beach, move to higher ground as an earthquake can cause a tsunami.

Navigating to safety After an Earthquake

After an Earthquake has occurred, aftershocks and tremors can still occur, rendering it necessary
to get to safety as soon as possible. The following steps help navigate to safety after an
earthquake:
 If one is away from home, return only when authorities say it is safe to do so.
 Check on one’s family for injuries and get first aid.

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 o Check on others around, assist others after one is fine.
 One should expect potential aftershocks and be prepared for landslides or a tsunami if
one lives on a coast.
 Aftershocks tend to occur minutes, days, weeks or even months after the first tremor.
After each aftershock, DROP, COVER and HOLD ON.
 Fire is the most common hazard after an earthquake, extinguish small fires.

Conclusion
Preparation is the key to navigating through any situation and feeling confident about
overcoming it. Building a safety plan to navigate through an earthquake is essential to survival.
More importantly, it instills thorough preparation and confidence to face it. For people living in
these regions, it becomes a part and parcel of their life. However, having a plan to fall on will
help one survive it and march on successfully. The videos help to gain more insight for planning
and how to follow the protocols. The USGS along with the Red Cross is committed to mitigating
the losses around disasters and helping people survive the aftershocks.

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References
Cross, A. R. (n.d.). Earthquake Safety. Retrieved from American Red Cross: redcross.org

CSUSM. (n.d.). Earthquake Procedures. Retrieved from CSUSM-Emergency Management:

https://www.csusm.edu/em/procedures/earthquake.html
Fire, V. (2014, February 1). The Importance of Earthquake Preparedness. Retrieved from
Vancouver Fire: https://www.vanfire.com/blog/the-importance-of-earthquake-
preparedness
NCEI-NOAA. (2021, March 11). On This Day: 2011 Tohuku Earthquake and Tsunami.
Retrieved from National Centers for Environmental Information:
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/day-2011-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami
Safety, M. T. (2021). What Should I Do Before, During, and After an Earthquake? Retrieved
from Michigan Tech: https://www.mtu.edu/geo/community/seismology/learn/earthquake-
take-action/