Who is Affected by Earthquakes?

Earthquakes can happen anywhere without warning. The best time to prepare for an earthquake is before it happens. Areas in the United States at higher risk for earthquakes include Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, and the entire Mississippi River Valley. However, there are many other areas that can be affected less often by earthquakes such as Idaho and Utah. The maps on left show where earthquakes can or have taken place in the last 365 days.

 

 

 

What can you do to be prepared?

A little planning can go a long way in keeping you prepared in the event of an earthquake. Start by creating a plan to keep you and your family supplied with food, water, shelter, power, medical, and communications devices. Stock up on essential supplies in advance. It takes time to accurately accumulate what you need. Below are some tips from Ready.gov to help you be prepared.

 

Make an Emergency Plan:

Create a family emergency communications plan that has an out-of-state contact. Plan where to meet if you get separated. Make a supply kit that includes enough food and water for several days, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher and a whistle.

      • Include non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, and water for several days, in case services are cut off in your area. If you are able to, set aside items like soap, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, disinfecting wipes, and general household cleaning supplies that you can use to disinfect surfaces you touch regularly. After an earthquake, you may not be able to purchase these supplies for days or even weeks.
      • Being prepared allows you to avoid unnecessary excursions and to address minor medical issues at home, alleviating the burden on urgent care centers and hospitals.
      • Remember that not everyone can afford to respond by stocking up on necessities. For those who can afford it, making essential purchases and slowly building up supplies in advance will allow for longer time periods between shopping trips. This helps to protect those who are unable to procure essentials in advance of the pandemic and must shop more frequently. In addition, consider avoiding WIC-labeled products so that those who rely on these products can access them.
      • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with family and coworkers.

     

Have a Backup Power Source:

Have a backup power source, like the Power Innovations Gateway Mini portable solar generator, that you can rely on to charge devices such as phones, laptops and wi-fi devices. These devices are essential to you communicating with your family, community, and being able to receive emergency notifications.

The Gateway Liberty solar generator can provide power for refrigerators and freezers in the event of a power outage. It is quiet and small enough to fit into any room.

Like many basic supplies – power and fuel can be unavailable when disaster strikes. It is important to have a power source that you can recharge without needing to rely on the power grid or gasoline. We encourage you to make a plan, get a power source, and be prepared.