How to prepare for an earthquake

Following the devastating earthquake that struck Alaska last Friday, emergency officials in Imperial Valley want to remind everyone how unpredictable earthquakes can be throughout our area.

Imperial Valley is an earthquake-prone area with nine faults surrounding the county, knowing safety procedures during an earthquake can play a vital role in staying alive, according to Rosa Zavala, Imperial County Emergency Services Deputy Coordinator.

“We still encourage the kids to duck, cover and hold on under a desk,” she said.

It’s essential to remain calm.

“We’re humans, and we do panic and we wanna run. We encourage not to run. That is the most dangerous thing you can do,” said Zavala.

It’s also important to always have cash ready just in case the power is to go out, Zavala added.

“A lot of people don’t think about maybe having cash on hand. Having your vehicle full of gas. Because we’ve seen in other areas where you know you’re not going to have any power.”

That’s why it’s vital that valley residents do their part to prepare for an earthquake that could happen at a moments notice.

While the faults surrounding Imperial County are smaller than the San Andreas fault, residents should still take precautions.

“One of the hardest things to do is know when the earthquake is going to happen. Or if you have what you need for the earthquake preparedness,” said Jose Ortega, American Red Cross Disaster Program Manager.

Ortega recalls the 7.2 Easter earthquake that rocked our area and parts of Yuma in 2010.

“The earthquake got bigger and bigger. And the next thing I knew the monitors fell. I was freaking out a little bit. I knew I wasn’t prepared. And when we came outside we weren’t sure what to do. What was going on,” said Ortega.

For more information on earthquake preparedness, you can go to www.ready.gov.