The Portland Office of Emergency Management offers several resources for preparing for an earthquake, from where to find shelter to creating a family plan. They include overall family emergency steps, with detailed tip sheets on freshening up your food and water stashes, and even a "home hazard hunt" that help families identify potential hazards. Be sure to check them out.
And also, you might want to take this opportunity to prepare your kids for the possibility of a quake. You certainly don't want to terrorize them, but training can be the difference between freezing up in an emergency and taking necessary actions to protect oneself, said Jennifer Bailey, with the state's Emergency Management department.
Parents should speak calmly and be matter of fact about the threat, she said, explaining that "these things happen. The more we know what to do, the better off we should be." For instance, she said, "it's no different than talking to them about a fire." And you've had the discussion about what to do if the smoke alarm goes off, right?
Here are additional tips from the city's tip sheet for kids and other resources on its Web site:
- Teach kids what earthquakes are and explain why the ground shakes. Separate fact from fiction. Remind them that the shaking will stop.
- Explain that there may be aftershocks, some of which may be as strong as the initial earthquake, and that those are normal.
- Assemble children's emergency kits, with a note from you, a family photograph, a toy, a treat and water and other food.
- Try going electricity free for a night. Conduct a flashlight walk around the block, or have dinner by flashlight.
- Make sure they know where to take cover (under sturdy desks, near interior walls) and where not to (near windows, tall unsecured furniture, and mirrors/pictures). For more info, refer to this tip sheet.
- Go through the family plan with them. Make sure they know the family meeting places and their out-of-state contact name and number.
- Check your children's school or day care policies for how they handle an emergency.
And while you're doing all of this, make sure to check out the state's emergency blog or sign up for the state's Twitter account. It's one way that government agencies expect to keep in touch with people if there's an emergency.
-- Helen Jung