Earthquake Survival Kit

Earthquakes - the term itself can cause shudders. A natural disaster that depending on its magnitude can cause mammoth damage to anything that comes its way. An earthquake is in simple terms a phenomenon caused due to the result of seismic waves that are caused by release of energy from the Earth's crust or geological processes like volcanic activity, landslides or more man-made causes like mine blasts and nuclear experiments. While seismologists can try to predict an earthquake with methods of earthquake forecasting, it is difficult to do so, as is the case with any natural calamity. It is therefore always better to be at least somewhat prepared for a calamity like an earthquake and prepare a survival kit to, if not alleviate the damage, at least minimize it.

But why is it so important to make such a kit and know about the various things to put in it? After a disaster, there is no way of knowing how long it is going to take for help to come your way or efforts for disaster recovery to start taking shape. It is possible that even basic necessities like water supply, electricity and telephone lines may be suspended. In such a situation, the importance of a basic survival kit becomes very evident. Therefore, in order to prevent a situation wherein your family and you are stuck without any supplies for basic survival, it is a good idea to have such a kit ready, especially if you live in a region that has been categorized as earthquake prone.

In order to learn what to put in a survival kit, you could benefit from referring to an earthquake survival guide which will not only guide you about what should be in such a kit, but also help you in learning how you could keep yourself safe and protect yourself when the earthquake hits you.

Earthquake Survival Kit Contents

Several people who are affected badly by disasters like earthquakes suffer so much because of the lack of preparedness. In case you stay in an earthquake prone area then it would be a good idea to refer to the list of supplies prescribed by the American Red Cross, so that you know how to pack the kit. Given below is an earthquake survival checklist with the supplies that the American Red Cross deems important.

• It is important to have food items that will not perish and are easy to prepare. Keep enough food supply for at least 3 days in case you need to evacuate and a 2 week supply if you can continue to stay at home.
• You will need to have a one gallon supply of water per person for each day that you are storing for.
• Radio
• Flashlight
• Batteries
• First aid kit with all the necessary medication
• Swiss army knife
• Toiletries and items for personal hygiene
• Cell phone with charger and extra battery (if possible)
• Contact information of emergency contacts
• Cash
• Copies of all personal documents of importance, like medical information, proof of address, passport, license, insurance papers, birth certificates, deed to house, etc.
• Maps and directions for places of importance
• If you have a baby with you or even a pet, then you would need to carry supplies for them separately like baby food, diapers, etc and for pets, their leash, food, id, etc.
• Masks, either N95 or surgical
• Matchboxes
• Raincoats, umbrellas, etc
• Towels
• Clothing
• Scissors, duct tape, stapler, needle and thread
• Blankets and sleeping bags

Once you know how to make such a kit and you are prepared for the worst, you can try to make more compact versions of the survival kit for your car and even for your office. There is no way of knowing when disaster may strike and it is always better to be prepared. You can make survival bags for each member of your family and instruct the children on the importance of each item in the bag and also help them learn some earthquake safety tips to protect themselves in such a situation. While there is no such thing as complete preparation for a calamity like an earthquake, it is always better to have at least some sort of assurance in the form of this kit.