It's unknown when an earthquake might hit, we can only be prepared

While March often sees winter storms become severe thunderstorms, earthquakes know no season and the potency of any quake is anyone's guess.

Allan C. Ninness, coordinator of the Saline County Emergency Management Agency explained how the citizens of our area can be prepared and what to expect in the event of a severe earthquake.

Ninness stated that pre-planning for an earthquake is perhaps the best possible safety precaution to take.

"You don't need to get paranoid about it but it is an issue that is worth some consideration," Ninness said.

Begin by preparing rendezvous points for family members, near ones home, in ones city and outside ones city.

"You don't know where you will be if an earthquake occurs," Ninness said. "You have to plan ahead on how to get together with your family."

The next step is gathering the necessary supplies to survive for a minimum of three days, quite possibly longer. Ninness pointed out that in the event of a severe quake, it would be a multi-state disaster not a multi-county one. Help from outside agencies will be delayed in reaching our area.

"In the 1811-18212 earthquakes, the shock caused church bells to ring as far away as Boston, Massachusetts," Ninness stated. "The bedrock here will transmit the shock further and more forcefully than in say, California."

Food, water, clothing and bedding, prescription medicines and shelter materials are high priority items. Each person in a household will require at least 3 gallons of water per day. Each person in the household will require 2,000 to 3,000 calories of food a day to maintain body weight. Pets' food and water needs also should be taken into consideration. Ninness recommends canned foods with high calorie content like beans, stews, soups, hard candy and energy bars. Instant coffee, tea and instant hot chocolate are also items that should be included in a family's disaster kit. All prescription medicines needed by family members should also be provided for.

Toilet paper, disposable cutlery and plates, metal cooking utensils and a few pots and pans as well as comfort items like books, playing cards and toys for small children are items that should be considered for inclusion in ones disaster kit. Sterno cans, a Coleman stove or even a pile of dry split wood should be on hand for warmth and cooking needs. Tarps or tents, a shovel and a hatchet or axe are also to be included in the disaster kit. Ninness recommends testing ones kit by camping out in the backyard. In an earthquake, aftershocks are going to occur and it may be several days before one feels safe to reenter one's home, assuming the building is habitable.

Flashlights, a radio and spare batteries are strongly recommended for lighting and information from authorities. Ninness says that candles and lanterns are not a first choice for light because of the fire hazard inherent in these items. It is also a very good idea to keep cell phones, tablets and laptops charged, in the event of an earthquake, electricity will be out for days or weeks.

What should one do in the event of an earthquake? Ninness stressed that a person must be prepared to shelter where they are when the earth shakes. Many people are injured by falling debris when they leave the building during an earthquake.

"An earthquake usually doesn't last long, you have to seek the best protection in the room you are in until the quake stops," Ninness cautioned.

In a home or building, shelter in doorways or under tables, if in bed, stay there.

"You have to prepare, think about where you spend the most time," Ninness said. "In a bedroom, make sure you don't have shelves or bookcases that could fall on the bed."

Ninness also points out that one should not shut off the natural gas or water lines unless there is a leak. Particularly in the case of natural gas, once shut off, it requires a gas company technician to restore the flow of gas.

Buildings would weather the quake depending of the nature of their material. Brick buildings are more prone to damage then frame structures, though frame buildings could be shaken off their foundation and collapse or be unsafe to reenter. Electrical power would be knocked out and without electricity all gas stations would not be able to pump gasoline. Bridges would very probably be damaged or destroyed and at the least would be unsafe to use until inspected by engineers. Any roadway above ground level on a berm or elevated surface could have cracking or fissures and all road travel would be hit or miss at best. Phone service would probably survive better than other services though Ninness cautioned that local service may be disrupted, while long distance service would remain in use.

"It's a good idea to have a out of state contact number, local calls could be out while you could still call out of the area," Ninness stated.

Police, fire and ambulance service would be disrupted and there is a possibility that hospitals would be unusable due to damage to the interiors.

"We have found that often the building is still standing, but the pipes, lighting and other interior components are badly damaged, rendering the structure unusable," Ninness said. "A severe earthquake is really one of the worst scenarios for an emergency responder to deal with."

Ninness states that there are numerous sites on the Internet that provide information on disaster preparedness.

"There is tons of information out there on the Internet," Ninness stated.

Ready.gov and the Saline County EMA website are good starting points for further information. The Saline County Emergency Management Agency is located in the county courthouse in Harrisburg and is ready to help with information and advice.

Ninness stressed that a good plan in place before a disaster is crucial for individuals and families.

"People should stop and take the time to plan and prepare," Ninness said. "Just doing some of the basic things can be a very important factor in the event of a severe disaster. Have a good individual plan because outside help will take awhile to get here in the event of a severe earthquake; we will be on our own for some days."