SAFETY PROCEDURES BEFORE,

DURING, AND AFTER THE

EARTHQUAKE INSIDE

BE READY FOR

THE BIG ONE

WHAT IS EARTHQUAKE?

Layout Artists / Researchers: Betes, Bryan Ashley Lopez

Macaranas, John Miguel Susano

Contributors / Researchers: Manalo, Mark Ivan Valenzuela Torres, Krezyl Anne Limbauan

An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the perceptible shaking of the surface of the Earth, which can be violent enough to destroy major buildings and kill thousands of people. The severity of the shaking can range from barely felt to violent enough to toss people around. Earthquakes have destroyed whole cities. They result from the sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.

What will you see and experience when a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hits Metro Manila and surrounding provinces? An Earthquake Impact Reduction Study for Metro Manila, funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), answers that very question. The scenarios depict what will happen to the capital region once a major temblor occurs in a metropolis with a population of 10 million. The study reveals that a 7.2-magnitude quake could kill up to 34,000 people after 13 percent of residential houses collapse. Another 100,000 people will sustain injuries due to collapsed buildings while fire will render 10 percent of public buildings unusable.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE EARTHQUAKE THINGS TO DO DURING EARTHQUAKE THINGS TO DO AFTER EARTHQUAKE

Make sure you have fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery power radio, flashlight and extra batteries at home. Learn first aid.

Check for hazards in the home. Anchor heavy furniture, cupboards and appliances to the walls or floor. Retrofit and reinforce your house.

Make up a plan of where to meet your family after the earthquake. Educate yourself and your family members. Learn the earthquake plan at your school or workplace. Create a disaster plan to protect yourself. Have a disaster supplies on hand. Develop an emergency communication plan. Create a disaster plan to protect yourself. Help your community, GET READY!

Learn how to turn off the gas, water and electricity.

Stay calm! If you’re indoors, stay inside. If in high-rise building, stay in the building, on the same floor.

If you’re outdoors, stay outside. Move away from building, streetlights and utility wires

If you’re in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the earthquake stops.

If in high-rise building, stay in the building, on the same floor. Get under a desk and stay away from outside walls and windows.

Don’t use matches, candles or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire don’t mix.

Don’t use elevators, they’ll probably get stuck anyway. Use stairways.

Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid for anyone who needs it.

Turn on the radio. Expect aftershocks. Listen to the radio for public-safety instructions. Be prepared for aftershocks, which can further damaged weakened structures.

Stay out of damaged buildings. Be careful around broken glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy shoes to keep from cutting your feet. Be careful in chimneys they may fall on you.

Stay away from beaches, tsunamis sometimes hit after the ground has stopped shaking.

Don’t use the phone unless it’s an emergency.

If you’re at school or work, follow the emergency plan or the instructions of the person in charge.

Expect aftershocks. Be prepared for aftershocks, which can further damaged weakened structures.