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What to Do After an Earthquake
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Check yourself for injuries. Often people
tend to others without checking their own injuries.
You will be better able to care for others if you
are not injured or if you have received first aid
for your injuries.
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Protect yourself from further danger by putting
on long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes,
and work gloves. This will protect your from
further injury by broken objects.
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After you have taken care of yourself, help
injured or trapped persons. If you have it in
your area, call 9-1-1, then give first aid when
appropriate. Don't try to move seriously injured
people unless they are in immediate danger of further
injury.
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Look for and extinguish small fires. Eliminate
fire hazards. Putting out small fires quickly,
using available resources, will prevent them from
spreading. Fire is the most common hazard following
earthquakes. Fires followed the San Francisco earthquake
of 1906 for three days, creating more damage than
the earthquake.
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Leave the gas on at the main valve, unless you
smell gas or think it's leaking. It may be weeks
or months before professionals can turn gas back
on using the correct procedures. Explosions have
caused injury and death when homeowners have improperly
turned their gas back on by themselves.
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Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, gasoline,
or other flammable liquids immediately. Avoid
the hazard of a chemical emergency.
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Open closet and cabinet doors cautiously.
Contents may have shifted during the shaking of
an earthquake and could fall, creating further damage
or injury.
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Inspect your home for damage. Get everyone out
if your home is unsafe. Aftershocks following
earthquakes can cause further damage to unstable
buildings. If your home has experienced damage,
get out before aftershocks happen.
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Help neighbors who may require special assistance.
Elderly people and people with disabilities may
require additional assistance. People who care for
them or who have large families may need additional
assistance in emergency situations.
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Listen to a portable, battery-operated radio
(or television) for updated emergency information
and instructions. If the electricity is out,
this may be your main source of information. Local
radio and local officials provide the most appropriate
advice for your particular situation.
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Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one,
drop, cover, and hold on! Aftershocks frequently
occur minutes, days, weeks, and even months following
an earthquake.
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Watch out for fallen power lines or broken gas
lines, and stay out of damaged areas. Hazards
caused by earthquakes are often difficult to see,
and you could be easily injured.
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Stay out of damaged buildings. If you are
away from home, return only when authorities say
it is safe. Damaged buildings may be destroyed by
aftershocks following the main quake.
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Use battery-powered lanterns or flashlights
to inspect your home. Kerosene lanterns, torches,
candles, and matches may tip over or ignite flammables
inside.
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Inspect the entire length of chimneys carefully
for damage. Unnoticed damage could lead to fire
or injury from falling debris during an aftershock.
Cracks in chimneys can be the cause of a fire years
later.
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Take pictures of the damage, both to the house
and its contents, for insurance claims.
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Avoid smoking inside buildings. Smoking
in confined areas can cause fires.
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When entering buildings, use extreme caution.
Building damage may have occurred where you least
expect it. Carefully watch every step you take.
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Examine walls, floor, doors, staircases,
and windows to make sure that the building is
not in danger of collapsing.
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Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas
or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window
and quickly leave the building. Turn off the
gas, using the outside main valve if you can,
and call the gas company from a neighbor's home.
If you turn off the gas for any reason, it must
be turned back on by a professional.
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Look for electrical system damage. If
you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or
if you smell burning insulation, turn off the
electricity at the main fuse box or circuit
breaker. If you have to step in water to get
to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an
electrician first for advice.
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Check for sewage and water line damage.
If you suspect sewage lines are damaged, avoid
using the toilets and call a plumber. If water
pipes are damaged, contact the water company
and avoid using water from the tap. You can
obtain safe water from undamaged water heaters
or by melting ice cubes.
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Watch for loose plaster, drywall, and ceilings
that could fall.
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Use the telephone only to report life-threatening
emergencies. Telephone lines are frequently
overwhelmed in disaster situations. They need to
be clear for emergency calls to get through.
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Watch animals closely. Leash dogs and place
them in a fenced yard. The behavior of pets
may change dramatically after an earthquake. Normally
quiet and friendly cats and dogs may become aggressive
or defensive.
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