08/02/2026
Earthquake Preparedness & Emergency Kit
I recently met Amy, a Richmond resident and research scientist at UC Berkeley Seismology Lab. Amy kindly responded to my request for providing some earthquake safety tips. Please read below Amy's note about earthquake preparedness.
Here is a review of some of the preparedness activities that I was talking about as well as a few useful links for more resources:
Create an earthquake/emergency kit
Having an emergency/earthquake kit that is kept at home is one of the easiest ways to prepare for an earthquake.
A kit should generally include:
- Water: Enough for your family for three days.
- Food: Shelf-stable/canned food for a few days (don’t forget a can opener!). This can include snacks like granola bars. We often double our earthquake kit food as camping supplies and eat/replace the stable food yearly.
- First Aid & Light: A first aid kit and flashlight.
- Personal Items: An extra/old pair of glasses if needed.
- Documents: Copies of important documents.
- Communication: Consider a crank-operated weather radio.
- Pet Supplies: Don’t forget pets! Think about what your pet may need (e.g., extra pet food).
The kit should be accessible—a common place for an earthquake kit is located under a bed or in a kitchen cabinet.
Secure your space
Many injuries reported following earthquakes are due to falling items. To help minimize injury, always make sure to:
- Secure heavy furniture like bookshelves and dressers to the wall.
- Remove heavy objects from tall shelves, especially any shelf above a bed or desk where you are likely to sit/sleep.
- Brace other large appliances like water heaters.
- Know where your gas and water shut-off valves are located.
Seismic retrofits
Retrofitting is often the most expensive preparedness activity and sometimes difficult to achieve due to financial concerns and/or housing status (renters often do not have control over the seismic readiness of their dwelling).
However, seismic retrofit programs like Brace + Bolt (which helps secure a structure’s foundation) have been shown to greatly increase the chances that a building will withstand a large earthquake. Ideally, every home, business, and especially critical infrastructure (schools, hospitals, police, fire) should be up to modern seismic safety standards.
In addition to bolting foundations, it is often recommended to brace or remove brick chimneys if unused. A common source of damage following an earthquake is falling bricks from chimneys, which can damage roofs as well as surrounding property.
Resources
Earthquake Country Alliance: Has simple ways to mitigate risk during an earthquake, including helpful graphics: earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps
Earthquake Brace + Bolt Grants: Information about grants that homeowners can apply for to reduce the cost of seismic retrofits: earthquakeauthority.com
The Great ShakeOut: An annual earthquake drill held every October. Many organizations and schools pair the drill with preparedness activities: shakeout.org
ShakeAlert: Resources on how communities and CERT groups can prepare for earthquakes: shakealert.org/education-and-outreach/shakealert-ready/shakealert-ready-cert
Ready.gov: A great resource for building emergency kits, available in multiple languages: ready.gov/kit
Let me know what questions you may have and how I can help promote seismic safety in Richmond! (Please share your questions with me and I will pass them to Amy.)
