Earthquake Preparedness at Home: What to Do Before, During and After

Green highway sign that says "The Big One Just Ahead"

Earthquakes are inconvenient that way: they don't wait until you've bought batteries, found the flashlight, and finally figured out where you put the emergency water.

And unlike some natural disasters, earthquakes can arrive with little or no useful warning.

That's why earthquake preparedness at home is mostly about what you do before the ground starts moving.

You don't need to turn your garage into a survival warehouse. You do need a reasonably prepared home, emergency supplies you can actually find, a family communication plan, and a clear idea of what to do when the shaking begins.

Here's where to start.

1. Walk Through Your Home Looking for Things That Can Fall

One of the simplest earthquake-preparedness exercises is to walk through every room and look up.

Then look around.

What could fall, tip, swing, shatter, or fly out of a cabinet during strong shaking?

Pay particular attention to:

  • Tall bookcases and shelving
  • Dressers and cabinets
  • Televisions
  • Large mirrors and framed pictures
  • Heavy objects stored on high shelves
  • Hanging objects
  • Breakable dishes and glassware
  • Appliances that could move
  • Objects positioned above beds, sofas or chairs

Secure tall or heavy furniture and other potential hazards appropriately. Move heavy and breakable items to lower shelves when possible, and consider latches on cabinets containing breakable objects.

The decorative vase over your bed may look lovely.

During an earthquake, gravity gets a vote.

2. Secure Your Water Heater and Check Major Home Hazards

An unsecured water heater can shift or topple during an earthquake, potentially damaging water or gas connections.

Make sure yours is properly braced according to applicable local requirements.

Also consider whether large appliances, masonry chimneys, and other substantial parts of your home could create hazards during strong shaking.

If you own an older home, earthquake preparation may go beyond securing the contents. Some houses have structural vulnerabilities that can make them more susceptible to earthquake damage.

A qualified professional can help determine whether your house would benefit from seismic strengthening.

3. Make an Earthquake Emergency Kit

Earthquake kit surrounded by emergency survival supplies.

After a significant earthquake, electricity, water, communications, transportation and emergency services may be disrupted.

Your emergency supplies should allow your household to function without assuming you can immediately run to the store.

Useful supplies include:

  • Water
  • Nonperishable food
  • Flashlights
  • Extra batteries
  • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
  • First-aid supplies
  • Necessary medications
  • Phone charging options or power banks
  • Personal hygiene supplies
  • Sturdy shoes
  • Work gloves
  • Copies of important information
  • Pet food and pet supplies
  • Infant, older-adult or disability-related supplies your household requires

Don't create a beautiful emergency kit and then forget about it for six years.

Check it periodically. Replace expired food and medications, refresh stored water as appropriate, check batteries and make sure clothing and other supplies still meet your family's needs.

And put the supplies somewhere accessible.

An emergency flashlight buried behind the Christmas decorations under seventeen boxes in the garage is technically a flashlight. It's just not a particularly useful one.

4. Keep Supplies in More Than One Place

A single emergency kit is a good beginning, but think about where family members actually spend their time.

Consider keeping appropriate emergency supplies at home, in vehicles and at work.

Inside the house, sturdy shoes and a flashlight near the bed can be particularly useful. Broken glass and debris may make walking through the house hazardous after strong shaking.

The basic principle is simple: don't assume you'll be standing next to your main emergency kit when an earthquake happens.

5. Make a Family Earthquake Plan

Red highlighter pen resting on flakey concrete.

An earthquake plan doesn't have to be a three-ring binder.  Your family should know:

  • Where the safest places are in your home
  • How to protect themselves during shaking
  • Where emergency supplies are stored
  • How you'll communicate if you're separated
  • Who your out-of-area contact is
  • Where you might meet if you can't return home
  • What your children's schools or childcare providers do after an emergency
  • What your household will do with pets

Choose an out-of-area friend or relative who can serve as a family contact.

After a major disaster, local communications can be overwhelmed. Family members should know whom they're expected to contact and have that person's information stored somewhere besides a phone that could be lost, damaged or out of power.

6. Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On

When the ground starts shaking, don't waste precious seconds trying to remember advice you read two years ago. Practice it.

DROP onto your hands and knees.

COVER your head and neck. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, get underneath it for protection.

HOLD ON to your shelter and be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops.

If no suitable shelter is nearby, protect your head and neck and stay away from windows and objects that could fall.

Don't run outside during the shaking.

And forget the old advice about automatically standing in a doorway. Modern earthquake guidance recommends Drop, Cover, and Hold On rather than heading for a doorway.

7. Know What to Do If You're in Bed

If an earthquake wakes you in bed, generally stay there and protect your head and neck with a pillow.

Getting up and trying to cross a dark room while objects fall and glass breaks can expose you to additional hazards.

This is another reason to reconsider heavy mirrors, artwork, or shelves positioned above a bed before an earthquake happens.

8. Know What to Do If You're Outside or Driving

If you're outside when shaking starts, move away from buildings, utility wires, and other things that could fall if you can safely do so, and remain in an open area.

If you're driving, pull over in a safe location away from hazards such as overpasses, buildings, trees, and power lines when possible. Set the parking brake and remain in the vehicle until the shaking stops.

Earthquake preparedness isn't just a home skill. Everyone in the family should know what to do wherever they are.

9. After the Shaking Stops, Expect Aftershocks

The first shaking may not be the last.

Aftershocks can follow an earthquake and may cause additional damage, particularly to structures already weakened by the initial event.

Once the shaking stops:

  • Check yourself and others for injuries.
  • Be prepared for aftershocks.
  • Look for obvious hazards and damage.
  • Stay away from damaged buildings.
  • Follow instructions from local emergency officials.
  • Be cautious around broken glass and fallen objects.
  • Don't use damaged electrical equipment.
  • If evacuation is necessary, take essential emergency supplies if they're safely accessible.

If you smell gas, see a damaged utility line, or suspect another serious hazard, get to a safe location and follow instructions from your utility provider and emergency authorities. Don't improvise repairs you're not qualified to make.

10. Don't Assume Your Home Is Safe Because It's Still Standing

Serious structural damage isn't always obvious to an untrained eye.

After a damaging earthquake, watch for major new cracks, shifted walls, damaged foundations, leaning chimneys, or other significant structural changes.

If authorities have declared a building unsafe—or you have reason to believe it may be structurally damaged—stay out until it has been appropriately evaluated.

Your laptop is replaceable.

You are considerably harder to reorder.

11. Protect Important Documents Before an Earthquake

Earthquake preparedness isn't limited to food, water, and flashlights.

Keep important household information organized and protected, including:

  • Identification information
  • Insurance information
  • Medical information
  • Emergency contacts
  • Property records
  • Financial account information
  • Home inventory records
  • Important phone numbers

Consider secure digital backups and appropriately protected physical copies.

Photographs or video documenting your home's contents can also be useful for insurance purposes.

12. Check Your Insurance Before You Need It

Don't wait until after an earthquake to discover what your insurance does—or doesn't—cover.

Standard homeowners and renters policies generally don't cover earthquake shaking damage; you may need separate earthquake coverage.

Read your own policy and talk with your insurer or agent about what is covered, what isn't, applicable deductibles, and whether separate earthquake insurance makes sense for your situation.

Insurance paperwork is spectacularly boring.

It's considerably less boring before a disaster than after.

Your Quick Earthquake Preparedness Checklist

If the full list feels overwhelming, start here:

Today:

  • Identify one tall piece of furniture to secure.
  • Move one heavy object off a high shelf.
  • Put sturdy shoes and a flashlight near the bed.
  • Choose an out-of-area family contact.
  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On.

This week:

  • Assemble or update emergency supplies.
  • Check your water heater and other major household hazards.
  • Make a family communication and meeting plan.
  • Check supplies for pets, medications, and special household needs.
  • Review your insurance coverage.
  • Walk through each room looking for falling and breaking hazards.

You don't have to earthquake-proof your entire life this afternoon.

Start with the hazards most likely to hurt someone, then work your way through the rest.

Earthquake Preparedness Starts Before the Earth Moves

You can't schedule an earthquake.

You can secure the bookcase, move the heavy vase, stock water, put shoes beside the bed and make sure everyone in the family knows what to do.

That's what earthquake preparedness at home really comes down to: removing as many preventable problems as possible before you're dealing with shaking, broken glass, power outages, and frightened family members all at once.

Prepare the house.

Prepare the supplies.

Prepare the people who live there.

Then get back to normal life—preferably without that forty-pound picture frame hanging over your head.

Keep Going

For more ways to protect your family and prepare your home for emergencies, visit our Home Safety Guide.

For routine repairs, inspections, and household upkeep that can help keep your home in good condition, visit our Home Maintenance Guide.