My Earthquake Survival Kit

With the recent and devastating earthquake in Japan, many residents of earthquake-prone areas are wondering what they can do to prepare for a natural disaster closer to home.

As a southern Californian, it's not uncommon to feel the ground quiver. In case of an earthquake, my roommate and I have created an Earthquake Survival Kit. We not only gathered essential items that would be helpful after the shock of an earthquake, but we also found a waterproof box to hold all the items that could get destroyed in case of flooding.

The Essentials:

Several Gallons of Water

The LA Times suggests having a gallon of water per person per day in your earthquake survival kit. I don't have any pets, but if you do, remember to include them as people in your water stash.

Water Purification Kit, cheesecloth

After an earthquake, we could be stuck in our apartment for hours, days, or even (in very rough cases) weeks. In case the gallons of water run out quicker than we think, a water purification system will ensure that our water is clean and safe. A cheesecloth will come in handy to strain water.

Canned Food (and a manual can opener)

Cans of fruits, veggies and soups will be helpful in the event of a natural disaster. If there's no electricity, we'll need a manual can opener to get to our food!

Duct Tape

This magical item can fix lots of broken things! If a window breaks in the earthquake, we can cover it with fabric and duct tape.

Candles, matches

It will be tough to see without power, so we made sure to tuck some candles and matches into our earthquake stash.

Paper, pens, envelopes, stamps

If my city is devastated by an earthquake, there's likely to be little internet reception or phone reception. My mother will want to know that I'm safe, so having letter-writing capabilities could really come in handy.

Toilet paper, feminine products, toiletries

To be stuck in our apartment without these necessities would be excruciating.

Cash

If the power is out, there's no way to use ATMs, and the grocery store won't be able to take my debit card, credit card, or other credit card. Without electricity, cash is king.

Map

How will I get anywhere without Google maps? I bought a local street map to make sure if a disaster strikes, I will at least be able to navigate around town.

Tool Kit

We gathered some tools for a tool kit, including a hammer, nails, screwdrivers, wire cutters, an adjustable wrench, and pliers. If something is lightly damaged in the earthquake, there's a good chance we can fix it with these few tools.

First Aid Kit

In case we've gotten some injuries in all the shaking and quaking, a first aid kid with bandages, antiseptic and antibiotic ointments, medicines, scissors, and tweezers will be essential to safety and damage control.

Flashlight, batteries

Finally, we got a few flashlights and extra batteries in case of a power outage.

The Extras:

Deck of Cards

A deck of cards can provide loads of entertainment when you're stranded indoors.

Books

Having books or magazines on hand will also provide entertainment. (Remember books? The things people read before the internet?)

Games

We've got Scrabble, Clue, Monopoly and Life in the apartment. In case we're stuck inside for days on end, we'll at least have something to do.

Source
Los Angeles Times: Preparing Your Earthquake Survival Kit