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What
to Do if You Feel a Strong Coastal Earthquake
If you feel an
earthquake that lasts 20 seconds or longer when you are on the coast:
-Drop,
cover, and hold on. You should first protect yourself from the earthquake.
-When the shaking stops, gather your family members
and evacuate quickly. Leave everything else behind. A tsunami
may be coming within minutes. Move quickly to higher ground away
from the coast.
-Be careful to avoid downed power lines and stay away
from buildings and bridges from
which heavy objects might fall during an aftershock.
What
to Do When a Tsunami WATCH is Issued
-Listen to a NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency
frequency station, or other
reliable source for updated emergency information.
As the energy of a tsunami is
transferred through open water, it is not detectable.
Seismic action may be the only advance warning before the tsunami
approaches the coastline.
-Check your Disaster Supplies Kit. Some supplies may
need to be replaced or restocked.
-Locate family members and review evacuation plans.
Make sure everyone knows there is a potential threat and
the best way to safer ground.
-If you have special evacuation needs (small children,
elderly people, or persons with disabilities) consider early
evacuation. Evacuation may take longer, allow extra time.
-If time permits, secure unanchored objects around your
home or business. Tsunami waves can sweep away loose objects.
Securing these items or moving them inside will reduce potential
loss or damage.
-Be ready to evacuate. Being prepared will help you
to move more quickly if a tsunami warning is issued.
What
to Do When a Tsunami WARNING is Issued
-Listen
to a NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency frequency station,
or other
reliable source for updated emergency information.
Authorities will issue a warning only if they believe there
is a real threat from tsunami.
-Follow instructions issued by local authorities. Recommended
evacuation routes may be different from the one you use,
or you may be advised to climb higher.
If you are in a tsunami risk area, do the following:
-If you hear an official tsunami warning or detect
signs of a tsunami, evacuate at once. A tsunami warning is
issued when authorities are certain that a tsunami threat exists,
and
there may be little time to get out.
-Take your Disaster Supplies Kit. Having supplies will
make you more comfortable during the evacuation.
-Get to higher ground as far inland as possible. Officials
cannot reliably predict either the height or local effects
of tsunamis. Watching a tsunami from the beach or cliffs could put you in
grave danger. If you can see the wave, you are too close to
escape it.
-Return home only after local officials tell you it
is safe. A tsunami is a series of waves that may continue for hours.
Do not assume that after one wave the danger is over. The next wave
may be larger than the first one.
What
to Do After a Tsunami
Continue listening to a NOAA Weather Radio, Coast Guard emergency
frequency station, or other reliable source for emergency information.
The tsunami may have damaged roads, bridges, or other places that
may be unsafe.
Help injured or trapped persons. Give first aid where appropriate.
Call for help. Do not move seriously injured persons unless they
are in immediate danger of further injury.
Help
a neighbor who may require special assistance - infants, elderly
people, and people with disabilities. 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.
Use
the telephone only for emergency calls. Telephone lines are
frequently overwhelmed in disaster situations. They need to be clear
for emergency calls to get through.
Stay
out of the building if waters remain around it. Tsunami waters,
like flood waters, can undermine foundations, causing buildings
to sink, floors to crack, or walls to collapse.
When
re-entering buildings or homes, use extreme caution. Tsunami-driven
flood waters may have damaged buildings where you least expect it.
Carefully watch every step you take.
Wear
sturdy shoes. The most common injury following a disaster is
cut feet.
Use
battery-powered lanterns or flashlights when examining buildings.
Battery-powered lighting is the safest and easiest, preventing fire
hazard for the user, occupants, and building.
Examine
walls, floors, doors, staircases, and windows to make sure that
the building is not in danger of collapsing.
Inspect
foundations for cracks or other damage. Cracks and damage to
a foundation can render a building uninhabitable.
Look
for fire hazards. There may be broken or leaking gas lines,
flooded electrical circuits, or submerged furnaces or electrical
appliances. Flammable or explosive materials may come from upstream.
Fire is the most frequent hazard following floods.
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.
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. Electrical equipment should be checked and dried
before being returned to service.
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.
Use
tap water if local health officials advise it is safe.
Watch
out for animals, especially poisonous snakes, that may have come
into buildings with the water. Use a stick to poke through debris.
Tsunami flood waters flush snakes and animals out of their homes.
Watch
for loose plaster, drywall, and ceilings that could fall.
Take
pictures of the damage, both of the building and its contents, for
insurance claims.
Open
the windows and doors to help dry the building.
Shovel
mud while it is still moist to give walls and floors an opportunity
to dry.
Check
food supplies. Any food that has come in contact with flood waters
may be contaminated and should be thrown out.
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All
information obtained from
FEMA
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