Earthquake Emergency Information – Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living

Earthquake

Earthquakes can range in strength from minor to devastating, but often the greatest impact is caused by surprise.

Nevada is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the U.S., and in fact, our state ranks among the top three states subject to the greatest number of large earthquakes over the last 150 years.

Quick Tips

The moment an earthquake starts, remember to Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, water heaters, televisions, and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves.
Know how to shut off your utilities.
If you have pets and/or a service animal, do your best to keep them confined, securely leashed or harnessed.

Let’s Become Our Own First
Responders…Together

First responders will be on the scene after an emergency or disaster, but they won’t be able to reach everyone right away. As an older adult or someone living with a disability, you know your abilities and needs best. With preparation and the support of our communities, we can take proactive steps to become our own first responders…together.

Prepare

Before an Earthquake

Stay Safe

During an Earthquake

Recover

After an Earthquake

Additional Resources

The best time to prepare for any disaster is before it happens.

Create a Support Network

Your support network should include two or more people who can help you prepare and check on you in case of an earthquake, other disaster or emergency. It can be family members, friends, roommates, relatives, caregivers, co-workers, members of your place of worship, and neighbors. Don’t depend on only one person.

Give important keys to trusted support network members and show them where you keep emergency supplies.
Agree on and practice methods for contacting each other in an emergency. Have a back-up plan in case phones and the internet aren’t working.
You and your personal support network should always notify each other about when you’re going out of town and when you’ll return.
Learn more and use this downloadable form to create a list of your people and their contact information.

Find emergency contact information for your county.

When a crisis occurs, local officials use a few methods to alert the public, including sending messages to your cell phone via text and voice, to your landline, and on TV, radio, and social media.
- Speak up and make sure TV stations have plans in place to broadcast all emergency information using closed captioning or other kinds of visual presentation, like open captioning, crawls, or scrolls that appear on the screen.
- Speak up and ask people at local TV news networks to announce important phone numbers slowly and repeat them frequently for people who cannot read the screen.
- Speak up and ask people at local TV news networks to announce important phone numbers slowly and repeat them frequently for people who cannot read the screen.
- Learn how to advocate for yourself.
- Text messages can be accompanied by a unique vibration attention signal (“cadence”) for accessibility. Make sure the accessibility settings on your mobile device are working.
Plan to monitor local weather and news on TV, radio and social media. If you have a smartphone, download the FEMA and Red Cross emergency apps.
The National Weather Service recommends having a weather radio in all homes. For those with visual or hearing impairments, you can add attachments like bed shakers or lighted text alerts to your weather radio.
Consider a call system, such as a medical alert bracelet, that can connect you with emergency services. Make sure your house or apartment number is visible so emergency responders can quickly locate your home.
Make sure your house or apartment number is visible so emergency responders can quickly locate your home.
If you’re able, connect with local community groups, such as Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTS), neighborhood watches, or houses of worship.
If you live in an assisted living community, talk with your community management about how you can prepare for and stay informed during a disaster.
If it’s difficult for you to follow the news and weather, have someone from your support network keep you updated.
Learn more about how to get help in an emergency with mobile apps and services from the American Foundation® of the Blind.

How to contact 911 if you’re deaf or hard of hearing:
- Always contact 911 by making a voice call, if you can.
- Text-to-911 is the ability to send a text message to reach 911 from your mobile phone or device.
  - Text-to-911 is only currently available in Clark and Washoe County. If it’s not available in your location, speak up and ask your local call center to accept texts. You can also use a TTY or a telecommunications relay service, if possible.
Communication Tips:
- Know how to communicate with emergency personnel if there’s no interpreter or if you don’t have your hearing aids.
  - Store paper and pens where you can easily find them.
  - Use speech-to-text apps on your phone.
  - Carry a pre-printed card of important messages with you, such as:
    - “I use American Sign Language (ASL) and need an ASL interpreter.”
    - “If you make announcements, I will need to have them written or signed.”

Gather Emergency Supplies

Stores might be closed, and it might not be safe to travel.

You can download and print this Emergency Supply Checklist.

Gather two weeks of supplies, including non-perishable food and water. If possible, have at least a 30-day supply of prescription medications and any medical equipment you might need.
Try to fill your prescriptions as early as you can. Some health plans allow for a 90-day refill on prescription medications. Consider discussing this option with your healthcare provider.
Keep extra non-prescription medicine, like pain and fever relievers, antacids, antihistamines, and antidiarrheal medicines.
Keep extras of any medical supplies you use, such as bandages, ostomy bags, and/or syringes.
Check out tips and resources for low- and no-cost preparedness. To make this more affordable, buy what you need and slowly build up supplies.
If you have pets and/or service/support animals, be prepared with food, extra water, ID tags, veterinarian records, pet insurance paperwork, and other supplies they may need.
Have them microchipped. Make sure to keep your address and phone number updated and include contact information for an emergency contact outside of your immediate area.
Create an emergency supply kit for your car or for the car of your driver. Include physical maps, jumper cables, emergency flares, a first aid kit, a flashlight, blankets, bottled water, and non-perishable snacks. Keep a full tank of gas.
Keep your mobile devices and other communication equipment charged, and buy back-up chargers/batteries.
Keep assistive items and mobility aids (eyeglasses, hearing aids, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, fidget spinners, etc.) and spare batteries/power sources where you can easily find them.
Label assistive items with your contact information in case they get separated from you.
Plan how to replace them if they’re not working, lost, or destroyed.
Keep important documents and emergency information somewhere you can easily find them (list of emergency contact numbers, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, etc.)
Include a list of your prescription medications, including information about your diagnosis, dosage, frequency, medical supply needs, and allergies. Also include the names and contact information of your doctors.
Include copies of vital medical papers like insurance cards, Medicare cards, and power of attorney.
Keep a physical map with plans for at least two evacuation routes.
Purchase N95 masks to protect yourself and others from smoke inhalation.
Buy security lights, high-powered flashlights or battery-powered lanterns. Buy extra batteries.
Consider buying a battery-powered or hand-crank radio (weather radio) and extra batteries.
In the event of a power outage, you may lose access to clean drinking water. Set aside at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day.

In a disaster, people with special medical needs have extra concerns.

Medical Disabilities

Keep extras of any medical supplies you use, such as bandages, ostomy bags, and/or syringes.
Keep assistive items and mobility aids (medication organizers, oxygen/breathing and IV/feeding tube equipment, etc.) and spare batteries/power sources where you can easily find them.
Label assistive items with your contact information in case they get separated from you. Plan how to replace them if they’re not working, lost, or destroyed.

Ventilator Users

Keep a resuscitation bag handy. The bag delivers air through a mask when squeezed.

Oxygen Users

Have an emergency supply (enough for at least a two-week period).
Oxygen tanks should be securely braced so they don’t fall over. Call your medical supply company for bracing instructions.
If you use breathing equipment, have a two-week supply or more of tubing, solutions, and medications.
Check with your health care provider to see if you can use a reduced flow rate in an emergency to extend the life of the system.
Label your equipment with the reduced flow numbers so that you can easily refer to them.

Intravenous (IV) and Feeding Tube Equipment

Know if your infusion pump has battery back-up, and how long it would last in an emergency.
Have written operating instructions attached to all equipment.
Ask your home care provider about manual infusion techniques in case of a power outage.

Wheelchair/Scooter Users

Keep a pair of heavy gloves in your supply kit to use while wheeling or making your way over debris.
Keep a small tool bag to repair any damage to the chair.
Buy a transfer board to help safely move you from your chair in unfamiliar environments.
Buy a portable air pump for tires. If your chair or scooter doesn’t have puncture-proof tires, keep a patch kit or can of “seal-in-air product” to repair flat tires, or keep an extra supply of inner tubes.
If you use a seat cushion on your wheelchair or scooter to protect your skin or maintain your balance, buy an extra cushion.
Purchase an extra battery if possible. Keep batteries charged at all times.
If you can’t purchase an extra battery, find out what agencies, organizations, or local charitable groups can help you buy one.
A car battery can be substituted for a wheelchair battery, but this type of battery will not last as long as a wheelchair’s deep-cycle battery. Check with your vendor to see if you’ll be able to charge batteries by either connecting jumper cables to a vehicle battery or by connecting batteries to a specific type of converter that plugs into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter in the event of loss of electricity.
If you use a motorized wheelchair, have a lightweight manual wheelchair available as a back-up if possible.

Pack a Go Bag

Download and print the full Go Bag checklist.

Extreme heat may cause power outages, and you might have to evacuate. Keep essential emergency supplies in an easy-to-carry waterproof Go Bag that you can take with you. Keep your Go Bag somewhere you can easily find it.

Include your emergency contact list in a watertight container in your Go Bag and on your electronic devices.
Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items (hearing aids, FM system, assistive listening devices, etc.). Include waterproof containers for hearing aids.
Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items/mobility aids (eyeglasses, sunglasses, canes, screen readers, braille devices, etc.).
Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items/mobility aids (wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes, etc.).
Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items (things you use every day, like computer or electrical devices to help with memory, attention, or other challenges in thinking skills).
To make a busy room more calm and comfortable, include:
- A pair of headphones (noise-canceling if possible)
- Handheld electronic devices, charged and loaded with videos and activities
- Comfort snacks
Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items (medication organizers, noise canceling headphones, fidget spinners, etc.).
Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items (medication organizers, oxygen/breathing and IV/feeding tube equipment, etc.). Don’t forget spare batteries/power sources.
Consider using a rolling suitcase for easy mobility. If you have a walker, wheelchair, or scooter, you may be able to attach your bag to it.
Include over-the-counter and prescription medicines and assistive items/mobility aids (eyeglasses, hearing aids, canes, walkers, wheelchairs, etc.).
Don’t forget spare batteries/power sources. Buy extras of these essential items or make a note to include them in the event of an emergency.
Include pre-printed communication cards, pens, and paper.
Once every 6 months, check that all items in your Go Bag are in good condition and medications or food haven’t expired.
Remember to make a Go Bag for your pets and/or service/support animals, too. Download and print this Pets and/or Service/Support Animals Go Bag List.

Make an Emergency Plan

Think about your needs

Practice DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON. Run drills with your household and coworkers.
Plan where to meet members of your household if you get separated.
Help first responders help your pets and/or service animals. Get a pet alert window cling, write down the number of pets inside your home, and place it on a front window.

Protect Your Home

You might need help from your support network. If you aren’t the property owner, speak up and ask the owner to put the following tips in place.

Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, water heaters, televisions, and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves.
Consider making improvements to your home to fix structural issues that could cause your building to collapse during an earthquake.
Know how to shut off your utilities in case that becomes necessary.
Know where your fire extinguisher is.
Consider obtaining an earthquake insurance policy. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage.

Earthquakes are one of the most unpredictable disasters and require quick thinking.

When the shaking starts, you should DROP (OR LOCK), COVER, AND HOLD ON.

1. DROP (OR LOCK)

Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. This position protects you from being knocked down and reduces your chances of being hit by falling or flying objects. If you’re using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops.

Older adults or people with disabilities who can’t drop should still duck and cover or sit down if possible. You could be thrown to the floor if you’re standing.
If you’re using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked, get as low as possible, and remain seated until the shaking stops.
If you’re using a cane and can’t drop, sit on a chair or bed if possible. Keep your cane nearby.

2. COVER

Cover your head and neck with your arms if possible.

If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows). Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris. If you can’t crawl, cover and hold on.
Stay on your knees or bent over to protect your vital organs.
If you’re in a recliner or bed, lie on your stomach and cover your head and neck with your arms or a pillow until the shaking stops.

3. HOLD ON

Under shelter: If you are under a table or desk, hold on with one hand, and be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts.
No shelter: If you’re unable to drop to the floor and you’re seated (or as low as you can get), bend forward, cover your head with your arms, and hold on to your neck with both hands.
If you have pets and/or service/support animals, keep them with you if you can.
- Animals are very good at finding safety and hiding until the danger has passed, so you can look for your pet immediately after the shaking stops.
- If your pet is in a carrier or a crate, leave them inside. They are much safer inside, where they’re protected from falling debris. If your pet’s crate or carrier is light enough, you can carry or drag it with you to safety.
- Animals may become confused, frightened, or disoriented during and after a disaster. If you have to evacuate, do your best to keep them confined, securely leashed or harnessed as you exit your home to keep them safe from any hazards created by the earthquake.

If You’re Forced To Evacuate

Take your Go Bag.
Evacuate your pets and/or service/support animals, too.

Your first plan should be to stay with family or friends; they can accommodate you, your pets and/or service/support animals, and help you be most comfortable in a stressful situation.
If your only option is an emergency shelter, check with local authorities for the latest information about local shelters.
When you arrive at an emergency shelter, speak up and ask the shelter manager if they can meet your care needs.
Inform members of your support network of your location and status.

Earthquake Safety Tips: Stay Safe Where You Are

If you’re inside, stay inside. DO NOT go outside or to other rooms during an earthquake. You’re less likely to be injured if you stay where you are.

To reduce your chances of being hurt, take the following actions:

If possible, within the few seconds before shaking intensifies, move away from glass, hanging objects, bookcases, cabinets, or other large furniture that could fall as quickly as you can. Prepare for the possibility of falling objects, such as bricks from fireplaces and chimneys, light fixtures, wall hangings, high shelves, and cabinets with doors that could swing open.
If available, grab something to shield your head and face from falling debris and broken glass.
If you’re in the kitchen, turn off the stove and take cover at the first sign of shaking as quickly as you can.
DO NOT stand in a doorway. You are safer under a table. If your disability keeps you from getting under a table, get as low as possible, cover, and hold on. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house.
Doorways do not protect you from the most likely source of injury − falling or flying objects. Most earthquake-related injuries and deaths are caused by falling or flying objects (such as TVs, lamps, glass, or bookcases), or by being knocked to the ground.

If you’re outside, stay outside.

Move away from buildings, utility wires, sinkholes, and fuel and gas lines if possible. The greatest danger from falling debris is just outside doorways and close to outer walls of buildings.
Go to an open area away from trees, telephone poles, and buildings if possible. Once in the open, get down as low as you can and stay there until the shaking stops.
The area near the outside walls of a building is the most dangerous place to be. Windows, facades, and architectural details are often the first parts of the building to collapse. Stay away from this danger zone.

Learn what to do if you’re in a moving vehicle, a high-rise building, or a crowded place.

Caregiver Checklist

Keep a close eye on those in your care by visiting them at least twice a day, and ask yourself these questions:

Are they safe?
Are they staying hydrated?
Do they have enough food?
Do they need a safe place to stay?

Wait a minute before getting up or moving. Check for any immediate dangers around you and protect yourself.
Evacuate if you smell gas or think the situation is dangerous.
Earthquakes can cause items to fall and furniture to shift. Move with caution.
There may be broken glass; if possible, put on thick-soled shoes. If you use a wheelchair or scooter, be cautious.
If you’re trapped or believe you’re in immediate danger:
- Protect your mouth, nose, and eyes from airborne debris. You can use a cloth or clothing to cover your mouth and nose.
- Signal for help. Do anything to attract attention. Whistle or bang on a pipe or wall three times every few minutes. Rescue personnel listen for such sounds.
If you’re in a damaged building, go outside and move away as quickly as you can from the building. Check to make sure nothing will fall on you, such as bricks from a building, power lines, and trees. If you can, take your Go Bag.
Expect aftershocks. Drop, Cover, and Hold On if possible (or duck/get as low as you can and hold on) whenever you feel shaking.
Care for any injuries you may have and assist others.
Check and care for any injuries your pets and/or service/support animals may have.
Don’t use matches, lighters, appliances, or light switches until you’re sure there are no gas leaks. Sparks from electrical switches could ignite leaking gas, causing an explosion.

Tell First Responders About Your Disability

Know how to communicate with emergency personnel if there’s no interpreter or if you don't have your hearing aids.

Store paper and pens where you can easily find them.
Use speech-to-text apps on your phone.
Carry a pre-printed card of important messages with you, such as:
- "I use American Sign Language (ASL) and need an ASL interpreter."
- "If you make announcements, I will need to have them written or signed."