Cascadia & Earthquake Preparedness

Plan for two weeks without normal services

Lane County recommends that households work toward being two-weeks ready for a major earthquake and other disasters. Roads, water, electricity, internet, stores, and emergency response may all be disrupted at the same time.

Do not let the size of a two-week kit keep you from starting. Add water and shelf-stable food a little at a time, store what your household already uses, and rotate it before it expires.

• Roughly one gallon of water per person per day for drinking, food preparation, cleanup, and basic hygiene; individual needs vary.
• Additional water for pets, medical needs, hot weather, and foods that require water to prepare.
• Food that can be eaten without power, plus a manual can opener and a safe way to prepare it.
• Lighting, a battery or hand-crank radio, batteries, power banks, sanitation supplies, gloves, and basic tools.
• Sturdy shoes and a flashlight beside each bed in case broken glass is on the floor.

Build medication and medical needs into the plan

A generic emergency kit does not account for prescriptions, mobility equipment, refrigerated medicine, hearing aids, oxygen, or powered medical devices. Write down what each person needs and what would become urgent first.

Ask the prescriber, pharmacy, insurer, and equipment provider what advance supply or emergency options are available. Keep a printed medication list with dosages, allergies, prescriber information, and pharmacy contacts.

• Rotate stored medication so it remains current and keep it in the conditions its label requires.
• Plan backup power and charging for essential devices; know how long each battery lasts.
• Include spare glasses, hearing-aid batteries, mobility-device supplies, and copies of prescriptions.
• Identify nearby and out-of-area people who can help with transportation or care.

Learn the utilities before anything breaks

Locate the water shutoff, gas meter, and electrical panel. Make sure responsible household members know where they are and keep the correct tool accessible. Follow instructions from the utility or a qualified professional for your specific equipment.

Do not turn off natural gas merely as practice. After an earthquake, turn it off only when you suspect a leak, hear or smell escaping gas, see a broken line, or officials direct you to do so. Once gas is off, a qualified professional generally needs to restore service.

• Label shutoffs clearly and keep access free of storage.
• Brace the water heater and other large appliances using appropriate hardware and guidance.
• Secure tall furniture, televisions, and heavy wall-mounted objects to reduce falling hazards.
• Store heavy and breakable items on lower shelves and use latches where useful.

Give pets their own earthquake plan

After strong shaking, broken fences, glass, debris, and frightened animals can make a familiar home unsafe. Keep carriers and leashes where they can be reached and include pets in your water and food calculations.

A current photo of you with the animal can help establish ownership. Keep identification, vaccination records, medication, veterinarian details, and an out-of-area contact with the pet kit.

• Food, water, bowls, medication, waste supplies, bedding, and a first-aid reference.
• A secure carrier or leash for every animal and a practiced way to load them.
• Backup caregivers who can reach pets if household members cannot get home.
• A list of possible shelters, boarding locations, or friends who can accept animals.

Make a communication plan for overloaded networks

Choose one out-of-area contact and make sure everyone has the number on paper. Text messages may get through when calls do not. Household members can check in with the same person instead of repeatedly calling one another.

Choose a nearby meeting place for a home emergency and another outside the neighborhood when you cannot return. Include school, childcare, work, and caregiver reunification plans.

• Write down essential numbers; do not rely only on a phone contact list.
• Decide who will pick up children and who is authorized to do so.
• Name a neighbor or nearby helper for anyone who may need extra assistance.
• Practice the plan and update it after a move, job change, school change, or medical change.

Document the home before the shaking

A room-by-room home inventory can help you remember belongings after a major loss and support an insurance claim. Photograph or record closets, cabinets, garages, tools, electronics, furniture, and valuable items.

Keep the inventory, policy details, receipts, and property photos in secure storage that remains available if the home and local devices are damaged.