Earthquake Safety Plan

Introduction:

           For my earthquake safety plan, There are a number of steps that my family needs to complete.  We need to decide where we're going to stand if an earthquake occurs, we need to put together earthquake safety kits, we need to decide what to do with our cat, Simba, and we need to know what would happen if our power and water source went out.

 1.) Earthquake Safety Kit:

          I decided that first and foremost, my family needs to have an earthquake safety kit.  We need to have at least four safety kits inside the house in case we are separated during the earthquake.  First of all, they must have water – at least two bottles.  We also need to have band-aids tweezers, antiseptic, and other things found in a first-aid kit,  food for Simba, food for us, a whistle, extra clothes, a blanket, money, a flashlight and batteries, and a small radio in each kit.  In preparation for an earthquake, I think that we need to learn how to use the radio to contact people in case we get stuck under rubble.



2.) Where We're Going to be in an Earthquake:

If you were to go under a table, this is what you would do.

          During an earthquake, I would prefer for the members of my family to be under doorways, because they are so stable.  Also, according to my parents, the bathrooms of our house are very strong and secure, so in order to be the safest we can be, my sister and I will take cover under the doorway of our bathroom, and my parents will stand in the doorway of their bathroom.  Before I came to this conclusion, I considered us standing upstairs in the hallway, so that knick-knacks and shelves wouldn't fall on us, but I decided against it, because our upstairs hallway is a kind of balcony looking over our downstairs entrance.  If the glass separating us from the edge of the floor were to break, and we slid down and over onto the downstairs floor, we might sustain serious injuries.  I also thought about us huddling under the kitchen table, because it seems pretty stable, but there are so many things that could potentially fall sideways under the table, and there are many glass/breakable items in the kitchen, that I didn't think the table would be such a good idea.  Finally, I came to the conclusion of bathroom doorways.


3.) What We're Going to do about Simba:

          We own a pet cat called Simba.  He is a very important part of the family, and if he were to get killed in an earthquake, we would be devastated.  I had some trouble coming up with a solution as to what we would do with him, but I finally decided that we should just let him do what he wants to do.  Most animals know instinctively where to go during natural disasters, and it will probably be the same with Simba.  He's small enough to fit under our sofas, couches, and beds, and he would probably be very safe.  If, for some reason, he doesn't know what to do, and he just starts running around the house like crazy, one of us would probably pick him up and hold him during the earthquake (just as long as he doesn't squirm too much).  When I was first trying to figure out what to do with our cat, I thought that the first person to see him should pick him up and hold him still under a bathroom doorway, but I dropped that idea, because Simba has a tendency to squirm when held too long, and might cause a lot of trouble for us.  


4.) What would Happen if the Quake Cut Electricity and Water:
          If we were in an earthquake and it cut our electricity and water source, we would most likely use our fire, flashlights, and candles as a light source, and juice, fruits/vegetables, and bottled water to hydrate us.  My family has been through many situations where the electricity has gone out, and we know what to do; we have emergency flashlights located in various locations throughout the house, and we use those to find candles and light them.  Then, we all gather in one place to talk, eat, and do other things, just like normal.  If our water source also went out, we would use bottled water, fruit juice that we usually have in the fridge, and fruits such as grapefruits (typical in our household) in the place of the tap.  Our distiller might also have some extra water still in it that we could drink, and, if we got really desperate, we could drink from our toilets (we have four).  

5.) What We're Going to Change about the House:
In order to make our house safer for people during an earthquake, I propose that we get rid of heavy pictures hanging over our beds, take breakable glass items from high shelves, and get rid of heavy lamps and plants on shelves.  If we have heavy pictures hanging over our beds, they could fall on us during an earthquake, and the results could be disastrous.  I believe my parents have one hanging over their bed, so I think that we should move it so that it is hanging across from their bed.  I know that we have heavy and breakable objects on high shelves, because I have some in my room.  I have some weighty wooden boxes on my shelves, and I really wouldn't want them to fall and break - especially if I was running to our bathroom to take cover.  They could fall on me and deliver big injuries.  Also, we have a whole bunch of water and wine goblets high up above our kitchen table.  If the cabinet they are in swung open during a quake, they would all fall out and break.  If my family were eating during dinner and an earthquake occurred, we would be in trouble.  We also need to get rid of our heavy plants on shelves.  We can do this by re-potting our plants in lighter containers.