Courtesy
Although you should probably do something to prepare for The Big One when you live in Seattle, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Maybe you haven’t done anything at all, or you have a few flashlights and extra batteries around the house, but have been thinking about doing more, or you already have a stocked pantry and “go bag” and are feeling ready for action.
Wherever you are in your prep journey, you can do more. In this month’s column, I’m including some of my favorite tips to inspire you to up your preparation game. (In typically American fashion, I’m using sports metaphors.) Some suggestions are on the easy side, so I’ve included some advanced tips (labeled LEVEL IT UP).
Rookie moves
These are two simpler things you can do to prepare for an earthquake.
KEEP SHOES UNDER YOUR BED: This “if you do only one thing” tip is a favorite of our Hub volunteers. Strong earthquakes can lead to dangerous debris on the ground, including rubble and glass. If you are sleeping when The Big One hits (we sleep about one-third of our day, if we’re lucky), you’ll be barefoot and your shoes may be nowhere near. Put some shoes under your bed – ideally, a pair of old sneakers or boots – and put a warm sock inside each one (since you won’t find socks easily in an emergency). LEVEL IT UP: Create a full “get up and go” set! Put the sock-stuffed shoes along with a sweatshirt or warm shirt, shorts/pants, ball cap or other head protection, and a headlamp in a reusable grocery bag, and tie the bag’s handles loosely around your bedpost—things can get shaken up in an earthquake and be hard to find.
STOCK UP ON WATER: Per the prepper’s Rule of Threes, in a survival situation, you can go 3 hours without shelter, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. If you’re lucky enough to shelter in place, clean water will be your priority. Easy guidance to remember is one gallon of water per person per day. The simplest way to stock up is to buy an extra case or two of water at the store and keep it somewhere you think you’ll be able to access (like the garage or covered backyard area). LEVEL IT UP: Plastic degrades over time. Find hardy, refillable plastic containers, or light aluminum water bottles like the ones from Open Water. I don’t recommend emergency water pouches, since they’re not refillable, but canned water, on the other hand, is reportedly good for 100 years, so worth considering.
The JV squad
More advanced tips – if you’ve already done some of these, you might already be a prepper!
MAKE A GO BAG: If your house becomes unsafe, you might need to head to a shelter. Consider creating a Go Bag that has minimal essentials: some water, granola bars, a small first aid kit, a jacket or sweatshirt, warm socks and a pair of underwear, and a pair of sturdy gloves. LEVEL IT UP: Add a USB power bank (ideally charged up each month), a small radio, a local map, a printout of your ID/passport, some small bills (you never know), and your out-of-area contact and other vital info (see below).
SET UP AN OAC: In a serious emergency, phone circuits will be overloaded and cell phone towers might be damaged. Ask a trusted person living east of Spokane to be your out-of-area contact (OAC). It’s sometimes easier to get a text out of the city than across the city. Write your OAC’s phone number down on paper (since your phone might run out of power) and keep it somewhere close, like your wallet. Then, tell friends and family to contact the OAC (instead of trying to call you) if you are in an emergency. LEVEL IT UP: Collect ALL your essential information, including insurance information, prescription names, important contact names/addresses, and more. (Go to bit.ly/Sea-BePrepared for a fillable worksheet.) Print it out for your Go Bag, and also email it to your OAC so they have it if needed.
KNOW WHERE TO MEET UP: Have a plan for where your family will meet up during a disaster, especially if any of you work away from your home or if you have children in school (if you have little ones, find out what the school’s reunification plan is).
LEVEL IT UP: Regular column readers are likely aware that Madison Park has an Emergency “Hub” near the playground’s tennis courts: a designated volunteer-run meeting place for neighbors to meet after an earthquake (or other disaster) to share resources and skills.
Dana ArmstrongGoing pro
This column isn’t long enough to describe how to stock up on food or get radio-ready, but
GET A GENERATOR: Generators will help you in an emergency and let you help others (at a minimum, they’ll let you power up cell phones to help you get information). See my April column (search “generator” at MadisonParkTimes.com) for some generator basics.
LEARN FIRST AID: First responders will likely be held up or unable to reach us in an emergency. Learn some first aid basics to help yourself, your family, and your community. This year, I took classes in both Stop the Bleed and CPR. I learned that someone can bleed to death in just five minutes, and a professional tourniquet is a must – and I also now know how to help a choking baby. While I recommend learning CPR in person (so you can learn how much pressure to apply), Stop the Bleed can also be done online (stopthebleed.org/training/online-course/).
CHECK YOUR HOME’S SAFETY: Learn how to secure your house using the city’s Earthquake Home Safety Guide (go to bit.ly/Sea-ESG). It’s a short four-page guide that discusses items like cabinet safety and securing your water heater and wall hangings.
LEVEL IT UP: Contact your current home insurer and see if you can get a free estimate for earthquake insurance for your home (even renters can get it!). Even if you decide not to get insurance, you could find out what is needed to make your home earthquake-safe; per the WA Insurance Commission, some insurers will require some baseline improvements, such as “bolting your home to its foundation, bracing your home’s interior walls, or using strapping guards to hold down fixtures, such as hot water heaters.”
I hope this list has made you think about how you could be more prepared for an earthquake or other serious disaster. It’s just scratching the surface, but it’s a start!
As always, this column is part of Madison Park Emergency Hub’s outreach effort. We’re an all-volunteer organization focused on neighbors helping each other after a disaster. To get on our mailing list, contact us at madparkhub@gmail.com.
Save the Date for practice drills at the Madison Park Hub on Saturday, Aug. 16 or at Madison Valley’s Hub (in the MLK FAME parking lot) on Saturday, Sept. 20. See what we do and how you can help and get help in a serious emergency.