I have been thinking about writing this post since the devastating earthquake in China in May. I live in an earthquake zone myself so when I was in school we had earthquake drills learning how to protect ourselves in the event of an earthquake. But not everybody gets that, and definitely not if you’re not from an earthquake zone.
Before I got down to refreshing my memory on what to do when you experience an earthquake, I got hit by one. May 29th we had an earthquake measuring 6.3 Richter. That’s a pretty big one. Fortunately we have well built houses and a low population density so only a few got injured and no one got killed. I tweeted the first reaction of the earthquake: (recorded and published by Happy Hotelier)
Here's a video from the earthquake in Iceland May 29th 2008:
and another disturbing video from inside a collapsing building in China May 12th 2008:
We live in an active volcanic and earthquake area so we are used to earthquakes here though they usually are a lot smaller (theoretically, I could get a volcanic eruption right under my house, but then again, I could also get hit by a falling satellite). But what about tourists who come from “earthquake-free” zones and know nothing about earthquakes? We saw that those people were much more likely to panic during the earthquake here. So if you want to know what you should do in the event of an earthquake, here are a few tips:
How you can prepare for an earthquake:
1. Bookmark this article on del.icio.us, bub.licio.us, digg, SU or any other social network so you can read it again before your next trip.
2. Leave your travel plan with someone back home. Somebody should always know where you are. If you don’t follow the plan, let someone know of the changes you are making or might make.
3. The first thing to do in a hotel is to find the fire escape and the fire extinguisher. Fires start small, stop them if you can before they become large. Plan an escape route in the case of an emergency.
4. Have a battery radio (included in some phones today), a first aid kit and a flash light in your baggage. A tool like a Leatherman or Swiss Army knife are good things to have (just remember to pack it before your flight).
5. Keep yous shoes where you can find them, preferably by the bed, so you can find it very easily in the dark.
6. Go to that first aid course you have been thinking about for years. It’s too late to sign up when you need to use it.
During the earthquake:
7. Stay calm. Earthquakes are very common while earthquakes that can kill you are very rare. What ever you do, don’t panic.
8. Take cover. Most people get hurt because of falling objects or structures. Find a desk, heavy table and take cover under it. Grab one table foot with your one hand and hold the other hand above your neck and head. If you have nothing to go under go down on your knees, put your head down and cover your head and neck with your hands.
9. Stay where you are. Running out can be risky because of falling glass and parts and it can be very difficult to step down when the earth is moving. Falling and twisting a leg is common when people try to run during earthquakes. Of course, if you think the building is really going to collapse, evacuate.
10. Stay away from heavy furniture such as book shelves, closets etc. that can tumble over you, bridges, trees, power lines, phone lines and basically anything that can fall. If you’re at the beach, go to higher grounds (but stay away from steep hills). Strong earthquakes can cause tsunamis and flooding.
11. If you have children or pets, try to grab them and keep them with you under the table.
The aftermath:
12. Stay calm, check if anyone got hurt, provide first aid (you did go to that first aid course, didn’t you?) and get out of damaged buildings, structures and shelters.
13. Does anyone know where you are? When you are travelling you should always have a contact person back home who knows where you are and how to get a hold of you. That person is also the only person you should try to contact to let know you’re alright after the earthquake.
14. Phone lines, electricity, mobile networks are all likely to go out so you may be unable to get any message out, even for days. The pressure on phone lines when working is tremendous and phones should only be used for emergencies.
15. Stay out of damaged buildings. Aftershocks will occur. They are usually not nearly as strong, but they can cause a damaged building to collapse.
16. Find everybody something to do. People feel helpless and it can mean the world to people if they feel they can do something useful.
17. If you smell gas or hear a hissing noise, turn off the gas and get out. DO NOT USE OPEN FIRE!
(This list is a combination of what I've been taught and guidelines found on the internet)
So where are the earthquake zones? In the last few months we've had earthquakes in SW China, Iceland, California, Peru, Greece and even Spain. Some of those places, like California, Spain and Greece are among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. So though the chance of you experiencing an earthquake on your travels is small, the chance of being travelling in an earthquake zone is quite big. You can take a look at this map that shows earthquakes in the last five years (click it to see a larger image). They mainly go along the lines of the tectonic plates with the most active areas being the West coast of both South and North America, the Pacific islands, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, China, Himalayas, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Greece and Iceland.
Hjörtur
ps. for some not-so-scientific analysis of peoples reaction in an earthquake, check June Casagrande's earthquake experiment.
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