Earthquake Preparedness
General reference on earthquake response, retrofit basics, aftershock awareness, and post-quake recovery.
Notify me about Earthquake Preparedness
Sample entries · read in full
What an earthquake is and how the ground actually moves
An earthquake — also called a quake, tremor, or temblor — is the shaking of the Earth's surface that results from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere, energy that travels outward as seismic waves. Earthquakes…
Read in full →Earthquake home and go-bag baseline contents
References describe an earthquake supply kit as varying with household composition, climate, and the specific seismic environment, but as sharing a common core. The list below is an inventory baseline drawn from the…
Read in full →Magnitude and intensity quick reference
Magnitude and intensity are different measurements with frequently confused values. Magnitude (Richter ML, moment magnitude Mw) is a property of the earthquake as a whole — there is one number per event. Intensity…
Read in full →All 32 entries
Foundations
- What an earthquake is and how the ground actually moves Sample ✓
- Richter scale and the original local magnitude In app
- Moment magnitude scale (Mw) — the modern authoritative measure In app
- Modified Mercalli intensity — what shaking actually felt like In app
- Faults and the geology that drives most earthquakes In app
- Megathrust earthquakes and why subduction zones generate the largest events In app
- Foreshocks, mainshocks, and aftershocks In app
- Aftershocks: pattern, hazard, and how long they last In app
- Soil liquefaction — when ground temporarily behaves like a liquid In app
Built environment
- Earthquake engineering and the meaning of 'earthquake-resistant' In app
- Seismic retrofit — upgrading older buildings In app
- Soft-story buildings and ground-floor collapse In app
Regional
- Cascadia subduction zone — the Pacific Northwest's megathrust In app
- San Andreas Fault — California's transform boundary In app
- New Madrid Seismic Zone — intraplate quakes in the central U.S. In app
- Induced seismicity — earthquakes from human activity In app
Hazards
- Tsunamis as an earthquake follow-on hazard In app
- Tsunami warning systems and what an official alert means In app
- Fire following earthquake — the secondary disaster In app
- Why water disruption is the slow-motion disaster after a quake In app
Special populations
- Pets and household animals in earthquake response In app
- Oxygen-dependent residents and other medical-equipment dependencies In app
Response
- Earthquake myths — what NOT to do (doorways, running outside, elevators) In app
- Drop, Cover, and Hold On — the canonical response In app
- Drop, Cover, Hold On variants — bed, wheelchair, school, vehicle, outdoors In app
- Shutting off gas, water, and electricity at the meter In app
Preparedness
- Storing water for a multi-week post-quake outage In app
- Cooking and food preparation when the power is out In app
Quick reference
- Magnitude and intensity quick reference Sample ✓
- Utility shutoff and restoration quick reference In app
Checklists
- Earthquake home and go-bag baseline contents Sample ✓
- Post-quake home inspection walkthrough In app