Earthquake Readiness: How to Prepare Your Home and Family

Earthquakes can strike without warning, and the aftermath can be devastating. Whether you live in a high-risk area like California or just want to be prepared, having a solid earthquake readiness plan is crucial. I know how important natural disaster planning is because I live in Southern California. Every family should have a family emergency plan whether it is for earthquake preparedness, wildfire, hurricane and storm preparedness. While we cannot fully prepare for everything or predict what natural disaster can happen, it is still vital for survival and safety.

NEXT READ: Why You Should Start Prepping?

In this post, I will walk you through everything you need to know—from building an emergency kit to creating a family communication plan.

If you are new to planning and prepping for emergency, you may want to browse my separate page for PREPAREDNESS. Over the years, I have shared how I have frugally and intentionally prepped for emergency. I hope that it blesses you and your family.

1.Create an Earthquake Emergency Kit

Having a well-stocked emergency kit is the foundation of any earthquake preparedness plan. This can be a lot to buy initially. However, if you will have a separate budget for this category every shopping day this can be attainable. Have a list and buy it slowly. Even a $10 budget every grocery trip will go a long way. Shop at Dollar Tree, Aldi, Target, or Walmart. Make sure you know your prices. Water bottles are often cheaper at Costco. We often get a good deal on batteries at Amazon. Dollar Tree first aid medicines are also great.

Tip: I have a category on my notes app for emergency supplies for earthquake. It's a checklist of things I need. So, every time I go to a store, I check what I can afford and what I can buy from my earthquake emergency kit. Here's an example of things you should include in your go bag kits.

What to include:

Bottled water (1 gallon per person per day for 3 days)

Non-perishable food (Do not forget food for your pets)

Flashlights and extra batteries

First aid supplies

Personal hygiene items

Battery-powered or hand-crank radio

Medications

Copies of important documents

2. Earthquake-Proof Your Home

Walk around your home with your husband or family and assessed which sections of your home are at a risk during an earthquake. Things that can fall, break or can cause serious injury. Minimize risk inside your home by securing large or heavy items. Here are some action steps you can take:

Bolt bookshelves to walls
Secure water heaters and gas appliances
Use museum putty for fragile items
Anchor TVs and large electronics
Know how to shut off gas, water, and electricity

3. Make a Family Earthquake Plan

Ensure every family member knows what to do when the shaking starts. Include:

“Drop, Cover, and Hold On” training. ready.gov is an excellent resource for family earthquake planning.
We have a family safe meeting points where we will meet if we are not home and cannot get a hold of each other.
Have an emergency contacts list.
Practice drills regularly, younger kids may get scared but ensure them that practicing drills is important. ready.gov/kids is an amazing resource.
Plan for pets as well.

4.Stay Informed

Recommended resources:

5. After the Earthquake:

What to Do:

Check for injuries and provide first aid
Watch for hazards (gas leaks, downed power lines)
Avoid using elevators Expect aftershocks Stay informed via emergency radio

Being prepared for an earthquake isn’t just smart—it could save your life. Start by putting together a simple emergency kit and talking with your family about what to do. A few hours of preparation today can make all the difference when disaster strikes. Most importantly, we need to keep our faith and keep on praying. We do need to prepare for disasters like earthquakes, but we need to be sensible and do not prepare out of fear.

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