What do we do during an earthquake?
The most important measures to be followed when an earthquake occurs to protect you and your family
Securing some materials on hand: such as a battery-operated lamp, a battery-powered radio, a manual extinguishing device, an ambulance bag containing some special medicines. An earthquake, which is usually next to the largest pillars in the house and far from falling tall objects such as chandeliers and antiques.. Family members must know the locations of the electricity, water and gas switches and how to use them in emergencies.
What do we do during an earthquake?
An earthquake (also known as an earthquake, tremor, or quake) is the shaking of the Earth’s surface caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth’s lithosphere that results in seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from quakes too weak to be felt, to those violent enough to push things and people through the air and wreak havoc on entire cities. Seismic activity or seismic activity of an area is the frequency, type and magnitude of earthquakes over a given time period. The word tremor is also used for seismic, non-seismic rumbling.
On Earth’s surface, earthquakes are triggered by the shaking of the ground and its displacement or disruption. When the epicenter of a large earthquake is located offshore, the sea floor may shift enough to trigger a tsunami. Earthquakes can also trigger landslides, and sometimes volcanic activity.
In its general sense, the word earthquake is used to describe any seismic event—whether natural or caused by humans—that produces seismic waves. Earthquakes are mostly caused by the rupture of geological faults but also by other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine explosions, and nuclear tests. The point of the initial rupture of an earthquake is called its epicenter. The epicenter is the point on ground level directly above the hypocenter.
A- If you are at home or inside a building:
Do not run away towards the doors and exits of escape.
Do not use elevators.
Stay away from windows, mirrors, chandeliers, shelves, and loose storage.
Protect yourself by staying under the threshold of the house, in the corner of a room, under a sturdy table or bed.
B – If you are on the street:
Go to an open area quietly.
Do not run or loiter in the streets.
Do not go home until the shaking is over.
Stay away from high tension lines and towers and from slopes.
Stay away from tall and old buildings.
A- If you are in a car:
Park the vehicle away from buildings, walls, ramps, bridges, tunnels and high tension lines.
Stay in the vehicle and do not leave it until the shaking is over.
In the first minutes:
Keep calm, reassure others, and expect aftershocks.
Turn on the radio and follow the radio instructions.
Separate the power and water sources and close the gas sources.
Check out who’s with you.
Do not smoke and do not use matches and lighters.
Do not use electrical switches.
Use the cables for lighting.
Do not move barefoot, wear shoes, protect your head with a scarf or any solid object, and bring warm clothes when necessary.
Clean up spilled and flammable materials immediately (petroleum, paint, etc.)
Extinguish the beginnings of the fire immediately, and if necessary, call the fire department.
Do not move the severely injured unless their lives are in imminent danger.
Free the pets as they manage themselves.
If you are in a car or outdoors:
Stay away from the seaside, lake banks, and rivers, as tsunamis caused by earthquakes may hit the beach and river banks may collapse.
During the following hours:
Follow the instructions of the media and implement its instructions.
Be prepared to deal with more aftershocks.
Inform the Rescue Branch of the presence of people trapped or buried under the rubble.
Do not exaggerate in describing your condition or describing other patients.
Do not approach places where wires or metal objects are in contact with them.
Do not drink water from open containers before examining and filtering it with a regular cloth (at least).
Eat something and you will get better and be more able to help others.
If your house is severely damaged, you must leave it, so take with you (medicines, foodstuffs, water containers, personal documents).
Do not re-enter cracked buildings and do not approach damaged structures.
Do not hang around in the streets to watch what happened.
Pre-earthquake planning actually requires training on several problems that may occur after an earthquake, including:
– Communication: Knowing who to contact is very important at the time of a disaster, and it is knowledge that must be prior. And people usually contact those they know more than the parties that may be new after the occurrence of the disaster, and the contact may be in person or by wired phone if it works after the earthquake.
– Coordination: The difficulty of coordination lies in the multiplicity of guardianship authorities at the time of the disaster from the public and private sectors and different organizations. It is better to distribute work tasks at the time of the disaster before it occurs.
Authority: The disaster provides an appropriate opportunity for ambitious officials or some parties to show their competence and ability to deal with urgent people and tasks at the time of the disaster. The problems of authority at the time of disasters include the distribution of influence or new tasks. Before the disaster, it is necessary to know the bodies authorized to issue traffic permits, organize supplies and a list The names of the missing.
Workers: Employees and officials find themselves in a conflict of roles between caring for public affairs or caring for the victims from their families. Here, too, individual differences appear between officials, some of whom work day and night to meet the increasing needs at the time of the disaster, and some of them evade that. The problem of volunteers also arises here, in order to determine their work locations and their supervisors.