City Provides Tips to Prepare for an Earthquake

The recent earthquakes in nearby El Sereno and Hyland Park as well as in the Kern County community of Lamont serve as reminders that we must be prepared for the region's most probable natural disaster. Earthquakes can happen at any time, anywhere and without warning, and the City of Long Beach Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications is advising residents to follow the precautions listed below to prepare for an earthquake at work, school or home.

Residents are encouraged to practice these three steps to reduce their risk of injury during an earthquake:

• DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees; this position protects you from being knocked down.

• COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand and, if possible, crawl under a sturdy table or desk for shelter.

• HOLD ON until the shaking stops.

Older adults and people with disabilities or limited mobility are encouraged to review these Earthquake Safety Accessibility Tips for guidance before, during and after an earthquake.

In addition to practicing these safety techniques, the City is encouraging the public to take additional precautionary steps to prepare for any type of disaster with the following helpful tips:

• Stay alert. Sign up for Alert Long Beach to receive emergency notifications from the City.

• Learn. Residents should learn basic emergency medical procedures and take a CPR class.

• Prepare a go-bag. Residents should have a go-bag in an easily accessible location to take when the need to quickly evacuate arises. The bag should contain essential items for individuals and their family members (including pets) to be self-sustaining for up to five days.

• Get informed. Review the Hazard Mitigation webpage, which includes information about earthquakes and other hazards that can impact Long Beach, as well as the adopted Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, and visit My Hazards to find out what specific hazards impact your place of work or home.

Residents can also sign up to receive earthquake early warning notifications for earthquakes of 4.5 magnitude or higher by downloading the MyShake app. This service utilizes state-of-the art ground motion monitoring to deliver warnings via cell phone, which can provide critical seconds to take precautionary measures before the strongest shaking starts, depending on proximity to the epicenter.

Additional information on earthquakes and other disaster preparedness topics can be found on the Disaster Preparedness website at longbeach.gov/disasterpreparedness and on and on Facebook and Instagram at @LBDisasterPrep.