Why are earthquakes different?
Earthquakes are different because they can happen with little or no useful warning. ShakeAlert can provide seconds of warning in parts of the western United States, but that's time to take protective action, not gather emergency supplies.
Your earthquake kit should already be packed and accessible before the day you need it.
What should an earthquake kit include?
Beyond the food, water, and first aid common to any kit, earthquakes call for four specific things:
- Heavy work gloves for handling debris.
- Safety goggles for dust.
- A hard hat for moving through a damaged structure.
- A whistle, if you become trapped.
That's what separates an earthquake kit from a general emergency bag.
Which kit here fits?
ShakeGuard. The only kit here with all four, plus a 15-inch pry bar for a jammed door and a motion-sensor headlamp so your hands stay free. If you expect to move through a damaged house, this is the one. Available as the 2-Person Basic or the 2-Person Deluxe.
SafeHarbor. Safety goggles, work gloves, a metal hatchet, fifty feet of rope and a roll of duct tape. A real toolkit for debris and a window that needs covering, without the hard hat. Backpack or bucket, sized for two.
RapidShield. Safety goggles and a straw water filter rated for up to 1,321 gallons, in a grab-and-go backpack. The filter removes bacteria and protozoa but not viruses. Add your own gloves, and purification tablets if you expect to treat found water.
The Guardian. Work gloves and full 72-hour coverage for a family, with Chlor-Floc water treatment. Add your own eye protection.
SideBySide. Seventy-two hours for two or four in a backpack, with dust masks and a hand-rechargeable flashlight. No gloves or goggles, so add both.
Backpacks keep your hands free and can be easier to carry around debris, but the best format is one you can comfortably move. Consider stairs, mobility needs, and who in your household would actually carry the kit.
What happens after the shaking stops?
Secondary disasters are the most underplanned part of earthquake preparedness.
Fires from ruptured gas lines. Flooding from broken water mains. Roads too damaged for emergency vehicles to reach you.
The ShakeGuard includes our Emergency Preparedness Guidebook for this reason. Knowing what to do during aftershocks, how to check your home for structural damage, and how to reach family when cell networks are overwhelmed matters as much as any item in the bag.
Where is earthquake risk highest?
Well beyond California.
The Pacific Northwest faces some of the highest risk in the country from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, capable of a magnitude 9.0 or greater. A major New Madrid Seismic Zone earthquake would affect eight central states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Alaska has more earthquakes than any other state.
What to add yourself
- A gas shutoff wrench, if appropriate for your home, and know where your gas meter and shutoff are. Learn when and how your utility recommends shutting off gas before an emergency happens.
- Shoes and a flashlight near the bed. Broken glass and debris can make walking barefoot hazardous after an earthquake, especially if the power is out.
- A week of prescriptions.
- Water stored at home, since mains can break.
- Work gloves and safety goggles, if your kit does not already have them.
- An out-of-state contact. They're outside the emergency, so they're reachable. Everyone texts them to check in, and they relay news between you.
