Earthquake Readiness: Aftershocks, Home Hazards, and Family Actions

The first minutes after a major earthquake call for a deliberate sequence: protect yourself from falling debris, check for immediate danger, get everyone out of visibly damaged areas, and communicate only when it is safe to do so. The next several hours demand a different kind of readiness—one built around aftershocks, careful home checks, utility decisions, and the possibility that help or a safe route out may take time.

This guide concentrates on that unsettled period after the main shock. It does not replace local emergency instructions, a building inspection, or advice from your utility providers. Instead, it gives households a usable plan for deciding what to do, what not to touch, and which supplies should already be close at hand.

Expect aftershocks—and treat each one as a new event

Aftershocks are smaller or subsequent earthquakes that follow a larger quake. They can occur soon after the main shock or continue for days, weeks, or longer. Their timing and strength cannot be predicted precisely for an individual household. Even a moderate aftershock can be dangerous when it shakes loose a chimney, ceiling fixture, bookcase, or section of wall already weakened by the first event.

If shaking begins while you are indoors, use Drop, Cover, and Hold On: drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck beneath sturdy furniture if possible, and hold on until the shaking stops. If there is no shelter within reach, get low beside an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Stay away from windows, exterior walls, tall furniture, and objects that could fall. Do not run outside during shaking; falling glass, masonry, and power lines can make the route more hazardous than the room.

Once shaking ends, pause before moving. Look above and around you for broken glass, hanging fixtures, cracked plaster, fallen cabinets, and damaged stairs. Put on sturdy shoes before walking, even if the floor appears clear. Keep a flashlight close; broken glass and unstable debris are difficult to navigate safely by phone light alone, and a flashlight avoids the temptation to use a candle around possible gas leaks.

• Keep shoes, a flashlight, and a whistle beside each bed, where they can be reached without crossing the room.
• Move away from exterior walls and windows if you are waiting for instructions or preparing to leave.
• During an aftershock, stop moving and repeat Drop, Cover, and Hold On; do not try to carry belongings to safety while the ground is moving.
• After each noticeable aftershock, reassess the route and the building. A hallway or doorway that seemed usable earlier may now be obstructed.

For children, older adults, and anyone with limited mobility, identify a nearby protective position ahead of time and keep needed mobility aids within reach. A household plan should name who offers assistance, but the person providing it should avoid lifting someone through unstable debris unless immediate danger leaves no safer option.

Make a home check without turning it into a search mission

A quick check is not a structural inspection. Its purpose is to identify obvious danger and decide whether to leave—not to prove that a damaged building is safe. If you see major cracks, a leaning wall, a shifted foundation, a collapsed ceiling, a damaged chimney, or a stairway that has moved or separated, leave if you can do so without crossing the hazard. Do not re-enter to retrieve a pet carrier, wallet, medication, or favorite coat. Tell emergency responders or building management about people, pets, or urgent medicines still inside.

Check the exit itself before committing to it. Look for broken glass, fallen objects, exposed wires, and damage around the doorway, corridor, and stairs. Use stairs rather than elevators if evacuation is necessary and the stairs appear intact. If your usual route is blocked, use the alternate route you identified in advance. If both routes are unsafe, move to a safer interior location, signal for help, and follow instructions from emergency services.

Inside, avoid touching fallen power lines, exposed wiring, damaged appliances, and anything wet that may be in contact with electricity. Treat ceilings with new sagging, water-soaked patches, or hanging materials as potential fall hazards. Keep away from shelves and cabinets that have shifted; opening a jammed door or drawer can release heavy contents.

Take a moment to account for everyone. Use names and ask for a spoken response rather than assuming silence means someone is outside. If someone is trapped, call emergency services if possible, give the location as precisely as you can, and make noise with a whistle or by tapping on a pipe or wall. Shouting continuously can exhaust you and fill the air with dust. Do not enter a visibly unstable area to reach someone; tell responders what you know and where the person was last seen.

Utilities: know the controls, but do not operate them reflexively

Before an earthquake, locate the main electrical panel, water shutoff, and gas meter or shutoff valve. Mark them on a household map and make sure every adult who may be home knows how to reach them. Ask the gas and water utilities for instructions specific to your equipment and local system. A shutoff that is inaccessible behind stored items, unfamiliar, or operated with the wrong tool is not a useful plan.

Gas: If you smell gas, hear a hissing sound, or suspect a leak, leave the building immediately. Do not turn lights on or off, operate appliances, use a flame, or use a phone inside the suspected leak area. Once outside and away from the building, call your gas utility or emergency services. Do not re-enter until qualified personnel say it is safe. Only shut off gas if you have been instructed how to do so and can reach the valve without entering or remaining in a dangerous area. Many gas utilities advise customers not to restore service themselves after a shutoff; follow the utility’s rules and have the system checked before it is turned back on.

Electricity: If you see sparks, damaged wiring, a burning smell, or water near electrical equipment, keep clear and contact emergency services or the utility from a safe location. Do not step into standing water to reach a panel. If the panel or surrounding area is damaged, do not operate it. When a safe, authorized shutoff is appropriate, use the main breaker according to the instructions for your home—never touch exposed wiring or damaged equipment.

Water: A broken pipe can cause serious damage even after the shaking ends. If you see a leak, flooding, or a broken supply line, use the main water shutoff only if it is safely accessible and you know how to operate it. If water could be contaminated, follow local health and water-authority instructions before drinking it, even if it looks clear. Keep stored water separate from household plumbing until officials confirm the supply is safe.

Utility shutoffs are not a checklist to complete at any cost. A suspected gas leak, unstable structure, electrical hazard, or active fire takes priority: leave, keep others away, and contact the appropriate responders from outside.

The first-hour family plan

Agree on a short sequence before an earthquake so family members do not have to invent one while stressed. The order can be simple: protect during shaking; check for injury and immediate danger; put on shoes; move to the agreed safe location if the building is damaged; account for everyone; then send a brief status message when doing so is safe.

Choose an outdoor meeting point away from buildings, retaining walls, power lines, chimneys, and damaged roads. A point across the street from a building is not automatically safe if it sits beneath a façade or overhead wires. If the household is separated, use a second meeting place outside the immediate neighborhood, because streets may be blocked and local communication may be disrupted. Make sure children know the plan in language they can remember, and ensure caregivers and school contacts have the same instructions.

Keep a printed contact card in each person’s wallet, school bag, or go-bag. Include an out-of-area contact, an alternate meeting place, and essential medical information. Text messages may get through when voice calls are congested, but do not rely on a phone or network being available. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio can provide official updates; keep spare batteries stored separately so a leak does not damage the device.

• Account for each household member and identify anyone who may need help or medication.
• Do not use elevators; check stairs and corridors before using them.
• Keep clear of damaged buildings, glass, power lines, and emergency access routes.
• Use text or a short status message when safe; avoid repeated calls that drain a phone battery.
• Follow local evacuation, shelter, water, and re-entry instructions even if they differ from the household plan.

If you evacuate, leave a note only if doing so does not delay you or expose you to danger. A simple, preprinted household contact card can help; do not publish sensitive details or announce an empty home on social media. At a designated shelter, register according to local procedures so separated family members have a better chance of reconnecting.

Water, food, light, and the supplies that matter after shaking

Store at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking and basic sanitation, and plan for at least three days. For a household of four, that means a minimum of 12 gallons for three days. This baseline may not cover additional needs in hot weather, illness, pregnancy, nursing, or for pets. Increase the amount to suit your household and local conditions. Keep water in clean, food-grade containers away from chemicals, and label the fill or replacement date. Follow container and public-health guidance for storage and replacement.

After an earthquake, tap water may be unavailable or unsafe. Do not ration stored water by guessing how long the outage will last; check official alerts and use water for drinking first. Water for handwashing and toilet needs may require a separate plan. Never drink water that may have been contaminated by fuel, chemicals, or floodwater. Boiling does not make chemically contaminated water safe.

A practical household supply set should support the first several days without assuming that every room is accessible. Store some items near sleeping areas and some in an easy-to-carry bag, but do not place heavy containers high on shelves where they could fall. For a basic starting inventory, consider:

• Water: 1 gallon per person per day for at least three days, plus additional water for pets and individual medical needs.
• Food: at least three days of shelf-stable, ready-to-eat meals; include a manual can opener and food for infants or anyone with dietary restrictions.
• Lighting: one flashlight or headlamp per person, with spare batteries stored separately.
• First aid: a stocked first-aid kit, personal prescriptions, and a written list of medication names, doses, allergies, and relevant medical conditions.
• Communication: a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a charging cable, and a power bank kept charged and protected from damage.
• Safety: sturdy shoes, work gloves, a whistle, dust masks, and eye protection for debris conditions.
• Sanitation: moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, heavy-duty bags, tissues, and a plan for waste if water service fails.
• Documents and cash: copies of identification, insurance and medical information in a waterproof pouch, plus small bills.
• Household needs: glasses, hearing-aid batteries, mobility-device supplies, infant supplies, and pet food with a leash or carrier.

Do not rely on a generator, camp stove, grill, or fuel-burning heater indoors or in an attached garage. Carbon monoxide can build up without warning. Use such equipment only outdoors and according to its manufacturer’s safety directions, well away from doors, windows, and vents. If power is out, keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible and follow local food-safety advice before eating perishable food.

Prepare rooms before the quake, not during the cleanup

Aftershocks make ordinary household objects part of the hazard picture. Secure tall furniture to wall studs with appropriate restraints, latch cabinet doors where heavy contents are stored, and move breakables away from beds and frequently used seating. Place heavy objects on low shelves. Strap water heaters according to local code and manufacturer guidance, and ask a qualified professional about chimney, foundation, and structural concerns. A household checklist cannot substitute for a building assessment when there are signs of damage.

Keep at least two exit options in mind, but do not assume every window is a safe route. A second-floor escape may require a purpose-designed ladder and practice under safe conditions. Make sure routes remain clear of storage, charging cables, and furniture. For renters, photograph existing concerns, report hazards to the property manager, and keep copies of maintenance requests and building emergency procedures.

Place a flashlight and shoes near every bed, and avoid storing heavy objects above sleeping areas. Secure televisions, mirrors, and framed objects that could fall. If a household member uses a wheelchair or walker, map accessible routes and identify how to manage doors, ramps, and thresholds if power or automatic access systems fail.

A worked example: a household of four in an apartment

Imagine two adults and two children on the sixth floor. Before an earthquake, they store 12 gallons of water for three days, keep shoes and flashlights beside every bed, and place a radio, first-aid supplies, medications, and contact cards in an accessible go-bag. They identify an outdoor meeting point away from the building and a second contact location beyond the neighborhood. Each adult knows the alternate stair route and where the building posts official notices.

After a strong quake, the family uses Drop, Cover, and Hold On during shaking. When it stops, they put on shoes and check for injuries without opening unstable cabinets. They see fresh cracking and fallen ceiling material near the corridor, so they do not use that route. They check the alternate stairwell from a safe position and follow building staff or emergency instructions. They do not use the elevator or return for bags left in the apartment. If anyone smells gas, they leave without operating switches and call the utility or emergency services from outside.

The point is not that every apartment will have these exact conditions. The exercise reveals whether the plan depends on one exit, one phone, one adult, or supplies stored in a room that may be inaccessible. A useful plan has alternatives—and gives each family member a clear first action.

Re-entry, documentation, and the longer pause

Do not return to a damaged home simply because the shaking has stopped or the street appears quiet. Follow evacuation orders and wait for the relevant authority, building official, landlord, or qualified inspector to confirm that re-entry is allowed. A building may have hidden structural damage, broken utility connections, or a gas leak that is not immediately visible. If officials restrict access, do not cross a barrier to retrieve property.

Once authorities permit re-entry, proceed cautiously and do not touch damaged electrical or gas equipment. Photograph damage only when it is safe, and keep records for insurance and repairs. Avoid walking through standing water, and do not use appliances or outlets that have been wet or damaged until checked by a qualified professional. Keep children and pets away from broken glass, unstable walls, and work areas.

During a prolonged outage, conserve phone battery by lowering screen brightness, closing unused apps, and checking messages at planned intervals. Keep one device available for emergencies if possible. Use official local alerts for road closures, shelter locations, water advisories, and re-entry rules. A social post or forwarded message is not a substitute for an update from emergency management, public safety, or the utility responsible for the service.

Practice the plan while the house is calm

A short household drill can expose small failures before they become urgent. Walk each route in daylight and at night with a flashlight. Practice getting shoes on, locating the contact card, and reaching the outdoor meeting point. Ask children to point out what they would do if the main hallway were blocked. Check whether an older relative can reach the radio, medication, mobility aids, and water without climbing or lifting.

After the drill, record what happened: how long it took to gather, which route was blocked, whether the meeting point was understood, and what equipment was difficult to use. Replace expired supplies, recharge power banks, refresh stored water as directed, and update contact information when schools, caregivers, or phone numbers change. A plan that is reviewed twice a year is more likely to match the household that exists now, rather than the one that existed when the checklist was first completed.

The most useful earthquake plan is not the most elaborate one. It is a sequence that every household member can recall under stress: protect during shaking, move away from obvious hazards afterward, account for one another, leave unsafe structures, and wait for reliable information before returning. Preparation does not make an earthquake predictable. It makes the next safe action easier to recognize.