Are you ready for the earthquake next week?
Why prepare?
Preparing for an earthquake is crucial because the actions you take now—such as securing heavy furniture to walls, assembling emergency supply kits, and developing clear evacuation plans—can directly reduce casualties, prevent injuries from falling objects, and minimize property damage. Practicing evacuation drills ensures that everyone knows exactly how to react when an earthquake strikes, making it more likely that families can move quickly to safety and reduce the risk of harm.
By being prepared, individuals empower themselves to take quick action in an emergency rather than panic and delay. When you invest in readiness—through training and practice—you have laid the groundwork for survival and recovery.
Preparedness encompasses many things such as creating a family emergency plan, communication plan, preparing Go bags, pet bags, car kits, stay kits, and mitigating weaknesses in your home.
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Coach John Wooden, UCLA
Be safe. Stay safe
Comprehensive planning—such as planning evacuation routes and maintaining a stocked emergency kit—can enhance survival rates and minimize injuries during and after an earthquake. Addressing potential structural risks, and securing items in your home may reduce injuries and help you recover quickly.
Prepared not PANICKED
By preparing your kits, discussing evacuation and communication plans with your family, you can minimize anxiety and panic. These proactive steps ensures that you and your family will be ready to respond quickly and confidently when an emergency occurs.
You may be on your own for a while
Maintaining adequate supplies of water, food, shelter, and medical supplies will enable you to remain self-reliant. Public emergency services may be severely taxed following a disaster. First responders will need to prioritize critical cases and allocate resources accordingly.
The Hayward Fault is the single most urbanized earthquake fault in the United States, with more than 2.4 million people living along the fault line. Hundreds of homes and other structures are built directly on the fault itself, and mass transit corridors, major freeways, and many roadways cross the fault at numerous locations.
A major Hayward Fault earthquake is expected to cause significant loss of life and extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, including transportation and utilities. Several hundred thousand people are likely to be homeless after such an earthquake.
California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
Planning and Preparedness Fact Sheet July 2023
Living in areas that could be impacted by an earthquake means preparation is vital, as these events can strike suddenly, at any time, with little warning. The good news is we can avail ourselves to forewarning by registering with the My Shake app. My Shake was developed by the University of California, Berkeley, Seismology Lab and is available to you free!
- MyShake App: Free smartphone app that provides iPhone and Android users with audio and visual warnings [magnitude 4.5 or higher and Modified Mercalli Intensity III (weak) shaking]. Available at in the Apple App and Google Play stores;
- Android Earthquake Alerts: Android phones with updated operating systems are automatically subscribed to Android Earthquake Alerts, which uses the same technology as the MyShake App; and
- Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs): No-cost text messages for emergency situations [magnitude 5.0 or higher and Modified Mercalli Intensity IV (light) shaking].
Earthquake Warning California is the country’s first publicly available, statewide warning system that could give California residents crucial seconds to take cover before you feel shaking. Managed by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), Earthquake Warning California uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them and can notify Californians to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in advance of an earthquake.
Martinez Area CERT offers training classes throughout the year. Visit our Training section for information.