Emergency Preparedness

What You Need to Know

During the September 10th Leschi Community Council meeting, Sophia Lopez from the Office of Emergency Management shared practical steps we can all take to prepare for emergencies.

She highlighted the worst-case scenario—a major earthquake striking Seattle—noting that if we’re ready for the biggest disaster, we’ll also be better prepared for smaller ones like severe storms and flooding. Sophia recommended planning as though the City won’t be able to assist us for at least two weeks, which means having enough supplies and a family plan to cover that time. In the case of a major earthquake, it could take a month or more before utilities are restored.

Go to seattle.gov/emergency-management to sign up for Alert Seattle, explore the Hazards Explorer Map, and find resources such as first aid classes.

Planning

• Make sure your plan includes how to take care of everyone that depends on you, both human and animal

• If there is an earthquake, roads will likely be significantly impacted, start planning walkable routes to essential locations

• Go to the Hazards Explorer Map to view the biggest hazard threats to your key locations (home, other family, school, work, etc.)

• Ask someone to be your out-of-state contact, the one person you contact if Seattle experiences an emergency. Let all your out-of-state friends and family know that they should NOT contact you during an emergency but instead, reach out to your designated contact

• If you have kids in school, find out what their school’s emergency plan is

• Practice with your family what you will do during an emergency, including evacuating to an agreed-upon meeting point so it becomes muscle memory

• Create a plan for your pets, first responders will make every effort to save pets so make sure to take them with you (shelters are mandated to co-house pets)

• Meet your neighbors now and map out your neighborhood, learn about people’s skills and their needs, don’t wait to do this during an emergency

• Find out now what your insurance does and doesn’t cover, every $1 spent on insurance saves $6 in recovery

• Sign up for Alert Seattle so you receive lifesaving, geocoded messages for your area during emergencies

• Take first aid skills training such as Stop the Bleed classes

Preparing your home

• The number one injury from earthquakes are cuts on hands and feet from broken glass and other dangerous debris, make sure you have a pair of shoes under/by your bed to protect your feet

• Secure furniture and large items to the wall using brackets or straps

• Secure picture frames to the wall

• Use museum putty to secure smaller freestanding items

Supplies to have on hand

• Assume water service will be disrupted, plan on 1 gallon of water per person per day (that includes drinking, cleaning, bathing, sanitation)

• Try to keep your vehicle fueled above ¾ of a tank at all times so you’re ready to evacuate

• Have tarps and duct tape on hand in case you have broken windows

• Have a 30-day supply of your medication in case you are unable to get prescriptions refilled but make sure to rotate them so they don’t expire

• Water filters

• Bleach for water purification, cleaning, and sanitation

• Have a travel camping stove (with extra propane) so you can heat food and water

• For sanitation, use the two bucket system (one for #1, one for #2). When not in use, keep the supplies needed in your buckets (kitty litter, toilet paper, garbage bags, bleach). Cut a Styrofoam pool noodle in half lengthwise and run it along the rim of the buckets to make it more comfortable to sit on

• Have a wrench or other tool located by your natural gas valve so you can turn it off if needed

Creating your to-go bags

• Have one at home, your workplace, and in your vehicle

• If there is no power, you will not be able to use credit cards to buy supplies, make sure you keep cash (small bills are ideal) in your to-go bags

• Include a fully charged portable charger

• Layers of clothing

• Something that brings you joy, peace, or happiness to help sustain you

• Medical documentation for your pets (required by some shelters)

During an earthquake

• Do not rush out of the building – make sure to drop, cover, and hold – don’t move until the shaking has stopped

• Do not stand in doorways, get underneath a table or other furniture within three seconds, otherwise you risk being thrown forcefully by the shaking

• If you have a walker, sit in it and lock it

• If you’re in a wheelchair, make sure to lock it

• If you use a cane, use it to get to the ground and don’t stand up until the shaking stops

• If you’re near water and there is an earthquake, get to higher ground once the shaking has stopped

• Make sure you are not near the outside of a building during an earthquake, unreinforced masonry is the most dangerous

• If you have natural gas and hear a hissing sound, smell rotten eggs, or see the dial rapidly spinning, your gas needs to be shut off. Call 911 or close your valve so it is perpendicular. Know that turning the gas back on is not for a layperson, make sure to work with a professional

During an emergency

• People tend to panic when it comes to buying supplies right before and during an emergency, buy only what you need, don’t hoard! Help ensure others can buy needed supplies as well

• Don’t rush to help others if you’re not okay

• For potable water, remember that you have 50 gallons in your hot water tank that you can access (unless you have a tankless water heater)

• Water filters can filter out microbes and debris but not chemicals. Lake water will likely be contaminated with chemicals. You cannot make hot tub or pool water potable

• If you collect water, make sure to boil it for 3-5 minutes

• If you are unable to boil it, use bleach (5 drops for 2 quarts, stir and let sit for 30 minutes, make sure there is no chlorine smell before you drink it)

• Use a higher ratio of bleach for cleaning (go to doh.wa.gov for more information)

• Use text messages because they use very little signal strength compared to phone calls

• Ham radio operators can help get messages out, go to your nearest neighborhood hub for help and resources

• For sanitation, it’s okay to dump urine in the yard, other waste material can be double bagged and Seattle Public Utilities will pick it up (once they’re able to)

• Post on social media if you need help and are unable to communicate in another way

It can be overwhelming to think of everything you need to do to prepare. Start with taking one action. Even if you only do one thing, that is one step closer to being prepared than you are now!

For more information including how-to videos, signing up for Alert Seattle, for first aid classes, and to view the Hazard Explorer Map, go to seattle.gov/emergency-management. To find your closest emergency hub, go to seattleemergencyhubs.org.

~Nikola Davidson