Protect your Home
Earthquake
FLASH
c a r d s
Earthquake
The majority of the United States is susceptible
to an earthquake of some magnitude; not just
the West coast. The central Mississippi Valley,
parts of the East coast and the US Territories are
also at risk. Below are steps you can take before
an earthquake to protect your family and home
today.
Know Your Family’s Risk
■■ Determine if your home is in a seismic zone by visiting
www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/hazards.shtm or calling your
local building department or emergency management office.
Know Your Home’s Risk
■■ Secure a licensed contractor or structural engineer to perform
an assessment of your home if you answer yes to any of the
questions:
• Was the home built before 1985?
• Is the home built on a raised basement or crawl space
foundation?
• Is the home on a hillside?
• Do you have occupied space above a garage?
■■ Check your local building department or emergency management
office to determine if they provide seismic assessments or could
recommend credible referrals to conduct a seismic assessment.
Key Retrofit Activities
■■ Complete the following retrofit activities with a licensed,
bonded and insured contractor:
• Brace the “cripple walls” of wood framed crawl spaces by
adding plywood or diagonal sheathing to the stud walls.
• Connect the home to the foundation by properly installing
anchor bolts and steel plate washers.
• Brace the narrow wood frame walls around garage doors with
plywood panels and/or steel straps.
• Strengthen unreinforced masonry walls by bolting the walls to
a new interior steel frame.
Protect your home in a FLASH with
the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes!
www.flash.org
toll-free 1-877-221-SAFE
Revised 3/13
Prepare your Family
Earthquake
FLASH
c a r d s
Earthquake
Earthquakes strike with no warning, leaving many
homeowners and families unprepared for injuries
and property loss. Below are some tips to help
safeguard your family against earthquakes.
Prepare
■■ Assemble disaster survival kits to last at least 72 hours for each
person in the household.
■■ Choose a location where family members will meet if separated
during the earthquake. Designate an out of town relative that family
members can call or text.
■■ Plan and hold earthquake drills with your family during a “Great
ShakeOut” earthquake drill (visit www.ShakeOut.org).
■■ Consider purchasing earthquake insurance.
■■ Consider taking Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or
American Red Cross training.
Survive
■■ Keep calm. Expect the earthquake to last from a few seconds to a
few minutes.
■■ If indoors, Drop, Cover and Hold On. Drop down to the floor and
take cover under a sturdy desk, table or other piece of furniture or
an interior wall to protect your head and back from falling objects.
Cover your head with your arms while holding onto the furniture
and keep your position until the shaking stops.
■■ If outdoors, move into an open area away from trees, buildings,
utility wires, signs, or anything that may fall on you. Stay there
until the shaking stops.
Recover
■■ Check for injuries and administer first aid if possible. Don’t move
injured persons unless they are in immediate danger.
■■ Use TV, radio, or internet to gather emergency information and
instructions.
■■ Check utilities for gas and water leaks, or broken electrical
connections. Be prepared to turn off utilities in the event they are
damaged or leaking.
■■ Clean up medications, cleaning products, or flammable liquids
immediately.
■■ Open cabinets carefully, to avoid objects falling out.
■■ Be aware of aftershocks.
Protect your home in a FLASH with
the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes!
www.flash.org
toll-free 1-877-221-SAFE
Revised 3/13
Protect your Contents
Earthquake
FLASH
c a r d s
Earthquake
During an earthquake, home furnishings and
contents can collapse or fall and cause injury.
Keep your family safe by following these steps:
Look Up, Look Around, Look Down.
Look Up
■■ Support ceiling fans and light pendants with the use of bracing
wire secured to a screw eye embedded at least an inch into the
ceiling joist.
■■ Brace masonry chimneys back to the roof joists or reinforce roof
sheathing to protect the home from falling masonry.
Look Around
■■ Anchor the tops of bookcases, file cabinets and entertainment
centers to one or more studs with flexible fasteners to prevent
tipping.
■■ Secure loose shelving by screwing into the cabinet or with
museum putty placed at each corner bracket.
■■ Secure china, collectibles, trophies and other shelf items with
museum putty.
■■ Install a lip or blocking device to prevent books or other articles
from falling off shelves.
■■ Secure televisions, computers and stereos with buckles and
safety straps that also allow easy removal and relocation.
■■ Install latches on cabinet doors to prevent them from opening
and spilling out their contents.
■■ Hang mirrors, pictures and plants using closed hooks to prevent
items from falling.
■■ Cover windows with approved shatter-resistant safety film to
protect against broken glass.
Look Down
■■ Ensure appliances have flexible gas or electrical connections.
■■ Strap the top and bottom of a water heater using heavy-gauge
metal strapping secured to wall studs.
■■ Locate your gas shutoff valve and ensure you know how to
turn off the gas supply to your home with the use of a suitable
wrench.
■■ Relocate flammable liquids to a garage or outside storage
location.
Protect your home in a FLASH with
the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes!
www.flash.org
toll-free 1-877-221-SAFE
Revised 4/13