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Southern Marin Fire Protection District, CA
Home MenuNatural Disaster Preparedness
Earthquakes
An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the ground caused by the shifting of rocks deep underneath the earth’s surface. Earthquakes can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. While they can happen anywhere without warning, areas at higher risk for earthquakes include Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington and the entire Mississippi River Valley.
Prepare Before an Earthquake
The best time to prepare for any disaster is before it happens.
- Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with family and coworkers.
- Make an Emergency Plan: Create a family emergency communications plan that has an out-of-state contact. Plan where to meet if you get separated. Make a supply kit that includes enough food and water for several days, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher and a whistle.
- Being prepared allows you to avoid unnecessary excursions and to address minor medical issues at home, alleviating the burden on urgent care centers and hospitals.
- Remember that not everyone can afford to respond by stocking up on necessities. For those who can afford it, make essential purchases and slowly build up supplies.
- Protect Your Home: Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, water heaters, televisions and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves.
- Consider making improvements to your building to fix structural issues that could cause your building to collapse during an earthquake.
- Consider obtaining an earthquake insurance policy. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage.
Stay Safe During
If an earthquake happens, protect yourself right away:
- If you are in a car, pull over and stop. Set your parking brake.
- If you are in bed, turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow.
- If you are outdoors, stay outdoors away from buildings.
- If you are inside, stay and do not run outside and avoid doorways.
Protect Yourself During Earthquakes
1. Drop (or Lock)
Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. If you’re using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops.
2. Cover
Cover your head and neck with your arms. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows). Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris. Stay on your knees or bent over to protect vital organs.
3. Hold On
If you are under a table or desk, hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it if it moves. If seated and unable to drop to the floor, bend forward, cover your head with your arms and hold on to your neck with both hands.
Using a Cane?
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Using a Walker?
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Using a Wheelchair?
Landslides/Mudslides
In a landslide, masses of rock, earth or debris move down a slope. Debris and mud flows are rivers of rock, earth and other debris saturated with water. They develop during intense rainfall, runoff, or rapid snowmelt, changing the earth into a flowing river of mud or “slurry.” They can flow rapidly, striking with little or no warning at avalanche speeds (faster than a person can run). They also can travel many miles from their source, growing in size as they pick up trees, boulders, cars and other materials. Debris flows don’t always stay in stream channels and they can flow sideways as well as downhill.
When a wildfire burns a slope, it increases the chance of debris flows for several years. Although some landslides require lengthy rain and saturated slopes, a debris flow can start on a dry slope after only a few minutes of intense rain. “Intense” rain means a burst of rain at a fast rate, about half an inch in an hour. With debris flows, the rate matters more than total rainfall.
High Wind Events
While high winds are commonly associated with severe thunderstorms, hurricanes and nor'easters, they may also occur as a result of differences in air pressures, such as when a cold front passes across the area. Large winter storms occasionally produce high winds over central Florida. March and April are the most likely months for this phenomenon. A high wind warning is issued when sustained winds of 40 mph or greater or gusts to 58 mph or greater are expected.
High winds can cause downed trees and power lines, flying debris and building collapses, which may lead to power outages, transportation disruptions, damage to buildings and vehicles, and injury or death.
Preparing for High Winds
In advance of any storm, be sure your property is secure. Remove any dead trees or overhanging branches near structures, loose roofing materials and objects in yards, patios, roofs or balconies that could blow away. If a wind warning is issued consider the following:
Tune in to local weather forecasts and bulletins issued by the National Weather Service on the web, NOAA Weather Radio or local TV and radio stations.
Shutter windows securely and brace outside doors.
Bring in unsecured objects from patios and balconies and secure outdoor objects such as lawn furniture or garbage cans that could blow away and cause damage or injury.
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High Winds Safety Rules
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| The safest place to during high winds is indoors. | ||
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Postpone outdoor activities if a wind advisory or high wind warning has been issued. |
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| If you are caught outside during high winds: | ||
| Take cover next to a building or under a shelter. | ||
| Stand clear of roadways or train tracks, as a gust may blow you into the path of an oncoming vehicle. | ||
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Use handrails where available on outdoor walkways and avoid other elevated areas such as roofs without adequate railing. |
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| Watch for flying debris. Tree limbs may break and street signs may become loose during strong wind gusts. Keep an eye toward nearby balconies for loose objects that may fall. | ||
| In the event of a downed power line: | ||
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Call for help. Report downed lines to your local utility emergency center and to the police. Do not try to free lines or to remove debris yourself. |
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| Avoid anything that may be touching downed lines, including vehicles or tree branches. Puddles and even wet or snow-covered ground can conduct electricity in some cases. Warn others to stay away. | ||
| If you see someone who has been shocked who may be in direct or indirect contact with a power line, do not try to touch them. You may become a second victim. Get medical attention as quickly as possible by calling 911. | ||
| If a line falls on your car, stay inside the vehicle. Take care not to touch any of the metal frame of your vehicle. Honk your horn, roll down the window and warn anyone who may approach of the danger. Ask someone to call the police. Do not exit the car until help arrives, unless it catches on fire. To exit, open the door, but do not step out. Jump, without touching any of the metal portions of the car's exterior, to safe ground and get quickly away. | ||
| If you are driving: | ||
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Keep both hands on the wheel and slow down. |
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| Watch for objects blowing across the roadway and into your path. | ||
| Keep a safe distance from cars in adjacent lanes as strong gusts could push a car outside its lane of travel. | ||
| Take extra care in a high-profile vehicle such as a truck, van, SUV, or when towing a trailer, as these are more prone to be pushed or even flipped by high wind gusts. | ||
| If winds are severe enough to prevent safe driving, get onto the shoulder of the road and stop, making sure you are away from trees or other tall objects that could fall onto your vehicle. Stay in the car and turn on the hazard lights until the wind subsides. |
High Tides/King Tides
Living near the ocean we get to enjoy the many things that it has to offer, but we also have to deal with the issues it can bring. One of these issues are the occasionally higher than normal tides, sometimes referred to as “King” Tides. However, as opposed to other natural issues, we know when these high tides will occur far in advance. Based on tide predictions published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA), tides levels that could be high enough to cause roadway flooding in parts of Marin, primarily coastal areas, are expected November 4-8, 2021, December 2-7, 2021, and December 30, 2021 to January 5, 2022. If a high tide coincides with a significant storm, a tidal surge can occur, causing higher than predicted water levels.
Southern Marin Fire Department strongly encourages residents in low-lying areas to prepare for all upcoming high tide events.
Some Tips to Prepare for Flooding:
● Move vehicles to higher ground, especially in flood-prone areas.
● Move items stored in low-lying areas, such as basements or other areas that have flooded in the past.
● Driving through flooded roads is dangerous!
Do You Live in a Flood Zone?
Do you live in a FEMA designated flood zone? Check out the FEMA Flood Map to find out.
Tsunami
A tsunami can kill or injure people and damage or destroy buildings and infrastructure as waves come in and go out. A tsunami is a series of enormous ocean waves caused by earthquakes, underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions, or asteroids. Tsunamis can:
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Travel 20-30 miles per hour with waves 10-100 feet high.
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Cause flooding and disrupt transportation, power, communications, and the water supply.
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Happen anywhere along U.S. coasts. Coasts that border the Pacific Ocean or Caribbean have the greatest risk.
IF YOU ARE UNDER A TSUNAMI WARNING:
- First, protect yourself from an Earthquake. Drop, Cover, then Hold On.
- Get to high ground as far inland as possible. You can protect yourself from a tsunami while also protecting yourself and your family from COVID-19. Protect yourself from the effects of a tsunami by moving from the shore to safe, high grounds outside tsunami hazard areas.
- Be alert to signs of a tsunami, such as a sudden rise or draining of ocean waters.
- Listen to emergency information and alerts.
- Evacuate: DO NOT wait! Leave as soon as you see any natural signs of a tsunami or receive an official tsunami warning.
- Understand that your regular public shelter may not be open this year as shelter locations may have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC, FEMA, and the American Red Cross are advising shelter operators on safety procedures to make sure that shelters can protect people from natural disasters while taking COVID-19 precautions. Check with local authorities for the latest information about public shelters or download the free Red Cross Emergency app for a list of open Red Cross shelters in your area. In addition:
- Always follow the instructions from local emergency managers. They provide the latest recommendations based on the threat in your community.
- Make plans to shelter with friends and family, if possible.
- If you must evacuate to a public shelter, try to bring items that can help protect yourself and your family from COVID-19, such as hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, cleaning materials, and two masks per person. Children under 2 years old, people who have trouble breathing, and people who cannot remove masks on their own should not wear them. Review the CDC’s guidelines for “Going to a Public Disaster Shelter During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
- Maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and those who are not part of your household.
- Understand that your regular public shelter may not be open this year as shelter locations may have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC, FEMA, and the American Red Cross are advising shelter operators on safety procedures to make sure that shelters can protect people from natural disasters while taking COVID-19 precautions. Check with local authorities for the latest information about public shelters or download the free Red Cross Emergency app for a list of open Red Cross shelters in your area. In addition:
- If you are in a boat, go out to sea.
MyHazards from Cal OES (click “Tsunami Risk” at top)
Tsunami Maps from the California Geological Survey’s Information Warehouse