For some, an earthquake far from home reinforces the hope that such events "can't happen here". Yet, there are more 7.0 quakes waiting to happen. The fault on which Haiti lies had not had a major earthquake in over two hundred years. With all the extreme poverty in that country, an earthquake was not something anyone thought much about, but it happened. Earthquakes are natural disasters that can be planned for, but never predicted with specificity.

Deaths due to earthquake have tripled since 1998. This, in a time when we have dogs trained to find those who are trapped and teams of experts who understand how to find and rescue victims. In a time when we have trauma centers available to load on a plane and take to a disaster scene. Earthquake frequency and severity are increasing and will continue to increase if history is an indication of what to expect.

Currently there are many places in the world that we know are overdue for a strong earthquake - stronger quakes than we witnessed this week. We think of California with San Fransisco and Los Angeles, but quakes of this magnitude are also overdue in Seattle, the Middle East including Bethlehem and Jerusalem, Tibet and the Himalayas, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, New England, Vancouver, New Zealand, Australia, and the Wasatch range in Utah. There are more. Many of us live in these areas and many more will visit. Would you know what to do if the ground began to shake and you were caught in "The Big One"?

Earthquakes can happen when we are traveling. Be prepared. Before you leave home, designate an emergency contact and make sure they have the phone numbers of family who will need to be communicated with. Be sure your contact has current photos of all who are traveling with you so they can give those to authorities who will be posting photos online and on bulletin boards as people attempt to reconnect.

When traveling, always take note of the exits from your hotel. Explore a little to see them for yourself. Note how far the exits are so if the power should go out and you are left in the dark, you will know approximately how far you need to go to find the exit. Also note the location of fire alarms. It sounds obsessive, but will only take a few seconds for your peace of mind.

If you are indoors when shaking starts:

• “DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON.” Get under a strong table or desk. If you are not near a table or desk, drop to the floor against an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms.
• Avoid windows, they are the weakest part of a wall. If you are stuck there, pull something over your head. Also avoid hanging objects such as light fixtures, mirrors, tall furniture, large appliances and cabinets filled with heavy objects.
• Do not try to run out of the structure during strong shaking - you may fall or, if you make it out, you may be injured by falling glass or parts of buildings. More people are killed during an earthquake trying to escape a building than are killed due to being trapped.
• It is safer to remain inside a building after an earthquake unless there is a fire or gas leak.  Glass from high-rise buildings does not always fall straight down; it can catch a wind current and travel great distances.
• If you are in bed, stay there and cover your head with a pillow. If the ceiling begins to fall, or there is a large painting or mirror over the bed, roll off the bed onto the floor. As you do sweep everything on the nightstand onto the floor so it won't fall on you as the shaking continues.
• Stand in a doorway only if it is an inside door and built soundly. Be careful of the door as a swinging door can cause serious injury.
• Do not use elevators during or after a quake. An elevator which is working after a quake may be damaged and trap you during an aftershock.
• If you are in a wheelchair, and cannot get onto the floor, lock the wheels, bend over,  and cover your head.
• It would not be unusual for the fire alarm to sound - sprinklers often come on, and/or the power may go out during a quake. Do not panic.

If you are outdoors when shaking starts:

Once the shaking stops:

• Check the people around you for injuries; provide first aid. Treat those who are not breathing first and those who are bleeding next. Less serious injuries can wait. Do not move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger. If you need to move someone who is seriously injured be sure to support their head and back. A door works great for this purpose.
• Check around you for dangerous conditions such as fires, downed power lines, and structural damage. Stay far away from downed lines. Electrical current can travel thirty feet in the ground. If power lines are on your car do not leave the car, or you will likely be electrocuted.
• Inspect your surroundings for structural damage and dangerous debris..
• Whether at home or in a hotel room, always sleep with a pair of shoes next to your bed. After an earthquake, put on your shoes before getting out of bed. Without shoes, you will risk cutting your feet on broken glass.
• There will be aftershocks and some may be as big as the original quake, or close to it. During an aftershock, follow the same advice you would for the original quake itself.
• If you have access, listen to the radio for information and directions. Rumors abound after a disaster.

If you are trapped in debris:

• Move as little as possible so that you don’t kick up dust. Dust can be deadly and will be everywhere as rescue workers begin to do their work and dig you out. Cover your nose and mouth with a handkerchief or clothing to protect your breathing.
• Tap on a pipe or wall so that rescuers can hear where you are. Rescue workers will be listening for tapping. Tap in a pattern so they will recognize it as a distress signal and continue to listen to pinpoint your location. Use a whistle if one is available. Shout only as a last resort. Shouting will cause you to breathe in more dust, not a good thing. Rescue workers will ask  you to call out when they need information.
• Do not light a match.

It would be a grave mistake to assume these earthquake precautions don't apply to you and yours', simply because your area has not had a quake that anyone can remember. We save and plan, sometimes for years, for life's special occasions. We travel to family reunions, graduations, weddings and so much more, not to mention countless meetings and obligations less exciting.  We are often away from our  homes and safe places. Hopefully, nothing will ever happen to spoil those special times, but being prepared with a few basic skills may help to save your life, whether at home or away. May God continue to bless those who suffer these events, as well as those who sacrifice to lend their lifesaving efforts.

Carolyn will be appearing on The Family Preparedness Guide blog talk radio show tonight, January 20th, at 7:00PM Eastern, 4:00PM Pacific time. The topic: What we can Learn from the Haitian Earthquake. Tune in at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/james-talmage-stevens/2010/01/21/family-preparedness-guide-talk-show
For more information and a discussion of lessons learned from the Haitian quake visit Carolyn's website at http://blog.TotallyReady.com or join the discussion at:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TotallyReady/. You can contact Carolyn at: carolyn@TotallyReady.com