Department of Health and Public Safety

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 at least two weeks, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher and a whistle. ​ 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. Links to Resources: UW earthquake preparedness: The great shakeout: Premade emergency kits: Disaster preparedness and response:

Earthquakes come with little to no warning. The Puget Sound and the Republic of Soundland sits on several major fault lines. These fault lines have the potential of creating a magnitude ~8 or greater earthquake. Research suggests that the Pacific Northwest is long overdue for a earthquake of this size. 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. Avoid doorways and windows. find a table or other sturdy object and drop, cover, and hold on. 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.

There can be serious hazards after an earthquake, such as damage to the building, leaking gas and water lines, or downed power lines. Expect aftershocks to follow the main shock of an earthquake. Be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you feel an aftershock. If you are in a damaged building, go outside and quickly move away from the building. Do not enter damaged buildings. If you are trapped, send a text or bang on a pipe or wall. Cover your mouth with your shirt for protection and instead of shouting, use a whistle. If you are in an area that may experience tsunamis, go inland or to higher ground immediately after the shaking stops. Avoid contact with floodwaters as they can contain chemicals, sewage, and debris. Check yourself to see if you are hurt and help others if you have training. Learn how to be the help until help arrives. Once you are safe, pay attention to local news reports for emergency information and instructions via battery-operated radio, TV, social media or from cell phone text alerts. Disaster preparedness and response:

The Republic of Soundlandland is highly susceptible to air quality incidents dude due to the high number of wildfires that occur nearby in the region, especially during wildfire season. Stock up on N95 masks and buy HEPA air purifier(s). If you do not have a HEPA air filter you can make a DIY air filter using the below resource. Resources: Puget sound clean air agency - DIY air filter https://pscleanair.gov/525/DIY-Air-Filter

The most important way to stay safe when air quality is affected by wildfire smoke is to spend time indoors. Close windows and doors, set up a clean air room using a HEPA filter or DIY box fan filter, and run air conditioning if possible. If you have an HVAC system, use filters with a high rating (MERV 13 or higher) and set the system to recirculate. If it becomes too hot indoors, move to a mall, library, or other air-conditioned building. If you are outside wear a N95 mask and limit your time outdoors. Check the Air Quality Index (AQI) regularly. Only return to normal routines when air quality has returned to safe levels. Resources: Air Quality Index www.airnow.gov WA Wildfire smoke information https://ecology.wa.gov/Air-Climate/Air-quality/Smoke-fire/Wildfire-smoke

Volcanic dangers include not only an eruption of a mountain and associated lava flows, but also ash fall and debris flows. Learn about volcano hazard zones and evacuation routes. How at risk are you? Know how to access this information during a crisis. Make plans based on your risk. Plan ahead. Have emergency supplies, respiratory masks and goggles, food and water stored. Establish a plan to reunite with family if you are separated. Don't forget your pets! Some things to include in your emergency supply kit are: Flashlight and extra batteries First aid kit and manual Emergency food and water Manual (nonelectric) can opener Essential medicines Sturdy shoes Respiratory (breathing) protection Eye protection (goggles) Battery-powered radio Resources: Disaster preparedness and response: US Hazard Notification System: volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans2/view/volcano/cas WA Dept. of Natural Resources: www.dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/geology/geologic-hazards/volcanoes-and-lahars

Make sure you are aware of your local flood risk. If you live in a low area, purchase flood insurance. For information about tsunamis as an aftermath of earthquakes, read the "After" part of the Earthquakes section. Create an emergency plan with your family that includes a evacuation plan, including where you are going to go and the route you will follow. Additionally figure out emergency contacts, such as other family or friends. Have an emergency kit stocked with essential items such as food, water, flashlights, and a first-aid kit. If you are in risk of a flood, monitor weather forecasts and tune to local radio or television stations for emergency information, updates and instructions. Be ready to evacuate at a moments notice. If you believe flooding has begun, immediately evacuate.

When told to evacuate, do so as quickly as possible. Follow your emergency plans. Do not try to walk or drive through flooded areas. Water can be deeper than it appears and water levels rise quickly. Follow official emergency evacuation routes. If your car stalls in floodwater, get out quickly and move to higher ground. Stay away from moving water; moving water six inches deep can sweep you off your feet. Cars are easily swept away in just two feet of water. Stay away from disaster areas unless authorities ask for volunteers. Stay away from downed power lines. If your home is flooded, turn the utilities off until emergency officials tell you it is safe to turn them on. Do not pump the basement out until floodwater recedes. Avoid weakened floors, walls and rooftops. Wash your hands frequently with soap and clean water if you come in contact with floodwaters.

Wear gloves and boots when cleaning up. Open all doors and windows. Use fans if possible to air out the building. Wash all clothes and linens in hot water. Discard mattresses and stuffed furniture. They can't be adequately cleaned. Wash dirt and mud from walls, counters and hard surfaced floors with soap and water. Disinfect by wiping surfaces with a solution of one cup bleach per gallon of water. Discard all food that has come into contact with floodwater. Canned food is alright, but thoroughly wash the can before opening. If your well is flooded, your tap water is probably unsafe. If you have public water, the health department will let you know—through radio and television—if your water is not safe to drink. Until your water is safe, use clean bottled water. Learn how to purify water, such as boiling your water. If you have a well, disinfect your well and home plumbing and have your water tested to ensure it is safe. Do not use your septic system when water is standing on the ground around it. The ground below will not absorb water from sinks or toilets. When the soil has dried, it is probably safe to again use your septic system. To be sure, contact your local health department. When floodwaters have receded, watch out for weakened road surfaces. For more resources, click here.

Listen to the radio and TV for emergency information provided by local officials. Follow all advice and alert instructions. If an evacuation order is issued, evacuate immediately. If a lahar, pyroclastic flow, or lava flow is headed toward you: Leave the area immediately. If you are warned to evacuate because an eruption is imminent, evacuate. If you can drive rather than walk, use your vehicle to evacuate. When driving keep doors and windows closed, drive across the path of danger if you can or away from the danger if you can not, and watch for unusual hazards in the road. If you are indoors: Close all windows, doors, and fireplace or woodstove dampers. Turn off all fans and heating and air conditioning systems. Bring pets and livestock into closed shelters. If you are outdoors: Seek shelter indoors. If caught in a rockfall, roll into a ball to protect your head. If near a stream or river, be aware of rising water and possible mudflows in low-lying areas. Move up-slope as quickly as possible. Seek care for burns right away. Immediate care can be life saving. If your eyes, nose, and throat become irritated from volcanic gases and fumes, move away from the area immediately. Your symptoms should go away when you are no longer in contact with the gases or fumes. If the symptoms continue, consult your doctor. Protecting yourself during ashfall: Stay inside, if possible, with windows and doors closed. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Use goggles to protect your eyes.If ash is continually falling, you may not be able to shelter indoors for more than a few hours, because the weight of the ash could collapse the roof of your building and block air intakes into the building. Listen to authorities for advice on leaving the area when ashfall lasts more than a few hours. Exposure to ash can harm your health, particularly the respiratory (breathing) tract. To protect yourself while you are outdoors or while you are cleaning up ash that has gotten indoors, a disposable particulate respirator (also known as an “air purifying respirator”) may be considered. An N-95 respirator is the most common type of disposable particulate respirator and can be purchased at businesses such as hardware stores. It is important to follow directions for proper use of this respirator. For more information, see NIOSH-Approved Disposable Particulate Respirators (Filtering Facepieces) . If you don’t have a particulate respirator, you can protect yourself by using a nuisance dust mask as a last resort, but you should stay outdoors for only short periods while dust is falling. Nuisance dust masks can provide comfort and relief from exposure to relatively non-hazardous contaminants such as pollen, but they do not offer as much protection as a particulate respirator. Cleanup or emergency workers may need a different type of breathing protection based on their work activity. Note that disposable particulate respirators do not filter toxic gases and vapors. Keep your car or truck engine switched off. Avoid driving in heavy ashfall. Driving will stir up ash that can clog engines and stall vehicles. If you do have to drive, keep the car windows up and do not operate the air conditioning system. Operating the air conditioning system will bring in outside air and ash.