Recently, there has been an increase of earthquakes in California, some of these earthquakes occured in Carson, California, where most students attending Rancho Dominguez  Prep live, many individuals were pretty shaken up by it. A study done by YouGov has shown that 42% of people are not prepared for earthquakes. Now is the time to prepare for earthquakes just in case a much larger one ever strikes in California. 

One way people can get prepared for earthquakes is by having emergency supplies in advance.  Some emergency supplies include 3 days worth of water and canned foods, first aid kits, medications, flashlights, and more. Having these supplies are important because by having water and food you’ll be fine for about 72 hours which gives you enough time to relocate if needed. First aid kits incase you or a family member gets injured due to a natural disaster like an earthquake. Medications are important to have on hand at all times especially if you suffer from a medical condition. Lastly, having a light source like a flashlight is important because if the power goes out, you’ll have a light source for the night when it’ll gets dark. 

Another way people can get prepared for an earthquake is by finding safe spots around the house. An example of a safe spot is under a sturdy table. By locating these spots around the house, when an earthquake occurs, you’ll know where to go immediately instead of spending a couple of seconds trying to find a spot to get cover. Those couple of seconds can impact your life if something bad were to happen. Also, finding a safe spot can ensure that you’ll be safe.

Lastly, another way to prepare for an earthquake is by doing earthquake drills. In an earthquake drill, you go under a table and stay there until the shaking stops, and then the drill is over. By doing this once a month you will know what to do if an earthquake happens, it’ll also help you learn how to react quickly and efficiently when an earthquake happens. 

Not to worry though! There aren’t many big earthquakes that happen in California. These earthquakes that happened are just a reminder for all of us to make sure we are prepared and we  know how to protect ourselves just in case a bigger earthquake were to cause major damage.

Sources used for this story:

https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2018/07/17/americans-disaster-preparedness-2018