What to you do when an Earthquake strikes - What if a Solar Flare takes out the world's electricity distribution
What to do During a Big Earthquake
If you’re inside please stay away from doorways. Yes they can be an okay place to be but in a Big shake they can warp or collapse entirely. Just be aware of this when choosing a place to be safe.
The safer places are under a solid table or desk or beside a bed or couch. If the furniture starts to move then try to move with it. This is so that if one of your walls falls the furniture will give you a crawl space and an air pocket. There will be falling debris so be aware of lights etc. falling on you.
Depending on where you look for information you will get differing views. The simple truth is that all you can hope to do is lessen your chances of injury during a large earthquake. I can also tell you that during the Christchurch earthquake 2011, some people survived in their collapsed office buildings because they hid under their desks. Please be aware also that in a large earthquake stairwells can and do collapse.
Remember you may not get any help from stretched emergency response teams so help yourself then please check on neighbours.
If you’re outside, please get to an area where you won’t get crushed by falling shop fronts, awnings, parapets or crumbling buildings. Yes this can be hard to do but knowing where the debris can come from will give you a better chance of survival.
Once the shaking has stopped ... if you can get outside please do so ... be careful of any wiring as it could be live. For more info about earthquakes including richter scale to dynamite click here
So you're at home and it stood up to the quake
Even if your home is basically alright it will pay to turn off the electricity, gas if you have it and the water at the mains.
Why???
Gas pipes may be compromised (cracked or broken)
Electric wiring may be snapped or broken
Either of these two things could cause a fire in your home or in the walls of your home.
The water lines may be compromised (by turning off the water mains you will have a full cylinder of fresh water to drink and it won’t get refilled with sewerage water or liquefaction etc. as you drink it)
Also go around and check your walls for heat. If one of your walls is hot you may have to put a hole in the wall to put out the fire within it (I'm assuming here you have a fire extinguisher)
Once you have sorted out your home please go and check on the neighbours.
If there is a tsunami warning please evacuate coastal areas and move to higher ground fast.
For more info on tsunamis please click here.
you need certain things to survive
Firstly and most importantly you will need water.
If you have turned off the water at the mains you will have the cylinders worth of clean fresh water. This is a good start
Food and shelter will come a fast second and third.
Use the food in your fridge and freezer first as this will go off first then move on to canned foods etc.
If your home is not munted (destroyed) then you have a roof over your head.
Hopefully you will have an outdoor BBQ that you can cook your food on.
You should have a large water container in your garage full of water as well. (Empty and refill this monthly with your garden hose to keep the water in it fresh)
You should also keep a backpack with clothes in the garage. (If your home is destroyed you will still have some warm clothes)
Keep some cans of food in the garage as well (same reason)
You should have torches both inside and in your garage (I have a solar powered one on my handbag) this means even if I run out of batteries I will still have some light). You can also get shake ones you shake them and then they work for about a minute.
Candles and matches are also a good thing to keep in stock
Radio and batteries so you can keep up to date with the news and emergency responces.
Something to dig anyone who may be trapped out (a spade, rope, strong gloves) in case you need to dig or move bricks etc.
Also you should have some sleeping bags stored in your garage.
Chances are you will have to dig yourself a long drop (hole in the ground to go toilet) as well.
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A Solar Flare's taken out the world's electricity distribution
This is something I have recently found out can happen after reading some of the pages on NASA's site. If you wish to know more about Solar Flares please click here.
So if this worst case scenario ever happens what will that mean??
We will have no radio.
We will have no T.V.
We will have no cell phone coverage.
We will have no plug in phone coverage.
We will have no internet.
We will have no power. (Lights, ovens, microwaves, fans, heaters etc.)
We will have no G.P.S or other computer chip abilities in our cars.
The satellites will be dead in space.
No power to any nuclear power plants. - Now this is really scarry as it could lead to overheating and meltdowns in the countries that house nuclear power plants. I am unsure if backup power suplies would be effected by this.
No way to pump gas from automated pump stations.
No ATM’s. (No way to tell how much money anyone had in the bank).
Sewage plants may not be able to cleanse our bodily wastes and therefore we may need to return to long drops (I am unsure if this would be effected but better to be aware of the possibility)
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So what do we need to do before this happens?
If possible get a wood burner (one that you can cook on top of) - This will give you somewhere to heat water for hot drinks and a place to cook food.
Wet back your hot water cylinder to your wood burner - this will give you hot water for showers etc.
Get solar panels - This will give you lights in your home and hopefully you’ll have enough power to do your laundry.
Plant fruit trees and grow a few vegetables.
Buy solar powered torches.
Always have some emergency cash stored somewhere (not in the bank).
Have a stock of canned foods.
Please remember
If this happens it will take governments at least 15 years to get the first power plants etc. back up and running so you need to have as many of these things set up as you can before anything like this actually happens.
It is also good to remember that these first power plants will be needed firstly to help get others up and running and seondly the excess power from them will be used by the military so don't expect to get any power for 25 - 30 years for domestic use.
