The most effective earthquake preparation happens weeks or months before the ground shakes. Unlike hurricanes or floods, earthquakes strike without a predictable timeline, so your window for preparation is right now. The core tasks fall into a few categories: securing your home, building an emergency kit, setting up a communication plan, and knowing where to go when shaking starts.
Secure Heavy Items in Every Room
Walk through your home and look at everything above knee height. Bookshelves, dressers, televisions, and large appliances can all topple during shaking. Furniture anchoring straps attach to wall studs and can hold up to 400 pounds. For the strongest hold, locate a stud and use screws at least 1.5 inches long on the wall side. Use shorter screws on the furniture itself, but drive them into solid wood rather than thin backing panels where they could pull free.
Water heaters are a common hazard. Most building codes in seismic zones require them to be strapped to the wall with metal bands, but older homes often lack this. Secure heavy mirrors, framed artwork, and hanging light fixtures with closed hooks rather than open ones, so they can’t bounce off during shaking. In the kitchen, install child-safety latches on cabinets that hold glass or heavy dishware.
Consider Structural Retrofitting
If your home was built before the 1980s, it may not be bolted to its foundation. Foundation bolting typically costs $3,000 to $6,000. Homes with short wood-framed walls between the foundation and the first floor (called cripple walls) need bracing with plywood, which runs $4,000 to $10,000. These aren’t small expenses, but they can be the difference between a home that shifts off its foundation and one that stays put. Some states, including California, have grant programs that offset part of the cost.
Build a 72-Hour Emergency Kit
After a major earthquake, utilities and supply chains can be disrupted for days. Your kit should sustain your household for at least three days without outside help.
Start with water: one gallon per person per day, for both drinking and basic sanitation. For a family of four, that’s 12 gallons minimum. Store it in sturdy, sealed containers and replace it every six months. For food, stock non-perishable items that don’t require cooking or refrigeration: canned beans, peanut butter, dried fruit, granola bars, crackers. Include a manual can opener.
Beyond food and water, your kit should include:
- First aid kit with bandages, antiseptic, and adhesive tape
- Medications including pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medicine, antacids, and a rotating supply of any prescriptions your household depends on
- Flashlight and extra batteries (not just your phone)
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Whistle to signal for help if trapped
- Dust masks and work gloves for navigating debris
- Personal hygiene items including feminine supplies, soap, and hand sanitizer
Keep the kit in a spot you can reach quickly, even if doorways are blocked. A hall closet or garage shelf near an exit works well. Check it twice a year and rotate out expired food and medications.
Protect Your Documents
If your home is damaged, you’ll need identification, insurance information, and financial records to begin recovery. The Federal Trade Commission recommends gathering Social Security cards, health insurance cards, insurance policy numbers with contact information, deeds, titles, wills, birth and marriage certificates, passports, and a list of all bank, loan, credit card, and investment account numbers.
Keep originals (except wills) in a safe deposit box or fireproof lockbox. Scan everything and store digital copies in at least two places: a personal cloud account and a USB flash drive you can grab on your way out. Take photos or video of every room in your home, including closets, to document what you own for insurance claims. Print backup copies of your most critical documents too, since you may not have power or internet access when you need them.
Make a Family Communication Plan
Cell towers get overwhelmed during disasters, and local calls often fail while long-distance calls still go through. Designate an out-of-state contact person that every household member knows to call. This person becomes a relay point: if you and your partner can’t reach each other directly, you can both check in with the same contact in another state.
Choose two meeting places. The first should be just outside your home, like a specific tree or mailbox in your front yard. The second should be outside your neighborhood entirely, in case the area is evacuated. Write all of this down on paper. Phone contacts, meeting locations, and the out-of-state number should be on a card in every family member’s wallet or backpack, not just saved in a phone that might be dead or lost.
Set Up Earthquake Alerts
The ShakeAlert system, run by the USGS, can deliver warnings seconds before shaking reaches your location. That’s not much, but it’s enough to drop under a table or move away from a window. If you live in California, Oregon, or Washington, you have several ways to receive these alerts.
Android phones in those states have ShakeAlert built into the operating system. No app required. For iPhones, the MyShake app (developed by UC Berkeley and sponsored by California’s Office of Emergency Services) is free on the App Store. Your phone can also receive Wireless Emergency Alerts, similar to AMBER Alerts, through FEMA’s alert system. Check your phone’s settings under “Emergency Alerts” or “Government Alerts” to make sure they’re turned on.
Know Your Gas Shut-Off Valve
A ruptured gas line after an earthquake creates fire and explosion risk. Find your gas meter now, before anything happens, and locate the shut-off valve. Most residential meters have a valve that requires a wrench (a standard 12-inch crescent wrench works) to turn a quarter-turn. Keep a wrench tied or strapped to the meter so you don’t have to search for one during an emergency.
Automatic seismic shut-off valves are also available. These close on their own when they detect shaking above a certain magnitude. A plumber or certified contractor can install one near your meter. In California, only the gas utility or its certified contractors are authorized to operate the main service shut-off valve, so if an automatic valve trips, follow the manufacturer’s reset instructions or call your utility company before turning the gas back on yourself.
Identify Safe Spots in Advance
The USGS recommends “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” as the protective action during shaking. But deciding where to go while the ground is moving wastes precious seconds. Walk through your home now and identify the strongest position in each room: under a sturdy desk or table, or against an interior wall away from windows. The kitchen is one of the most dangerous rooms because of falling dishes, glass, and heavy appliances. If you’re in the kitchen when shaking starts, get out of it.
Stay clear of windows, fireplaces, and anything tall that could fall. Practice the drill with your household, especially with children. The Great ShakeOut, an annual international earthquake drill held every October, is a good prompt to rehearse.
Prepare for Pets
Your pets evacuate when you do. Build a separate kit for each animal with several days’ worth of food in a waterproof, airtight container, a water bowl, and stored water. Include any medications they take regularly, kept in a waterproof bag. Pack a collar with an ID tag, a backup leash, and a sturdy carrier or crate for each pet.
Keep copies of vaccination records, registration information, and a current photo of each pet in your document kit. If your pet has a microchip, make sure the chip’s registration is up to date with your current phone number. During evacuations, shelters may require proof of vaccination before accepting animals.
Extra Steps for People With Disabilities
Standard emergency plans assume everyone can move quickly and independently. If you or someone in your household uses a wheelchair, relies on powered medical equipment, or has other mobility needs, your kit and plan need specific additions.
Keep a wheelchair repair kit with a multi-purpose tool, Allen wrench set, small crescent wrench, and spare bearings. If you use a power wheelchair or scooter, have a backup battery charger and consider alternative power sources like a small solar panel or power inverter. Heavy gloves for wheeling over debris are essential. Hold onto old canes, walkers, or manual wheelchairs as backups rather than discarding them.
If you live or work in a multi-story building, request an evacuation chair as part of your care plan. Store a medical alert bracelet, a list of medications, and any specialized supplies (ostomy kits, wound care materials, specialty eating utensils) in your go bag. A communication board or device should be packed for anyone who uses one, along with a visual communication tool as a low-tech backup. Plan for a seven-day medication supply rather than the standard three, since access to pharmacies and medical facilities may be delayed longer for people with complex needs.