From the lessons of Haiti earthquake last year and the magnitude 9 earthquake and the tsunami it triggered in Japan this year, we really should prepare ourselves for the sudden disasters. What if another earthquake happens in your country? What should you prepare to survive an earthquake?

Getting ready before an earthquake strikes will help reduce damage to your home and business and help you survive. You should prepare an Emergency Survival Kit so that you can cope with being on your own for up to three days or more. The kit should include some bottled water and a small portion of food. Besides, you should get a flashlight inside, because it can get you some light to check the situation if youre stuck in some corner of the building. When people are kept in dark for a long time, they would feel desperate and anxious, so a flashlight is necessary. And also a knife. You have no idea what situation you would confront so a knife which can cut or chop may save you.

When earthquake happens, find a safe place close to you, like a strong table or an interior wall. Some people may say they have no time to think when it happens. That right. So you should locate your safe place now, then whenever it happens you would know where to go. It should be somewhere close to you, no more than a few steps, or two meters away, to avoid injury from flying debris.

If you are trapped in some place, dont be panic. You just need to wait for the rescue, and they would find you and save your life for sure, just be patient and save your strength. You can take out the flashlight and check the situation around you, see if you are injured and if you could move. If you cannot hear anything, then you should not shout for help or strike something to make any noises. What you should do is to save your energy because it may need several days when they finally find you. And when you hear some sounds like footsteps, thats when you should make some noise and ask for help. If you are too weak to shout for help, you could blow a whistle, or use a laser pointer to point at the sound direction. Laser pointers are much brighter than normal light, and it can be seen within a long distance. When they know theres a survivor, they would get you and rescue you as soon as possible.