The first hour
- Drop to your hands and knees. Cover your head and neck under a sturdy table or desk. Hold on until shaking stops.
- If no table, get low next to an inside wall and cover your head.
- In bed: stay there and cover your head with a pillow.
- Don't run outside during shaking. Don't stand in a doorway; it isn't safer in modern homes.
- In a car: pull over away from bridges, power lines and buildings. Stay inside with your seatbelt on.
The first day
- Expect aftershocks. Drop, Cover, Hold On each time.
- Check for injuries and hazards. Put on shoes to protect from broken glass.
- If you smell gas or hear hissing, leave and shut off gas only if you smell it. Only the utility should turn it back on.
- On the coast: if shaking is strong or long, go to high ground right away. A tsunami may follow.
The first week and beyond
- Inspect your home for damage before staying in it.
- Use text messages to reach family.
- Follow local guidance on water safety.
- Secure heavy furniture and water heaters for next time.
Get ready now: checklist
Your checks save on this phone.
Common mistakes
- Running outside during shaking.
- Turning off gas when you don't smell it.
- Standing in a doorway.
- Lighting matches or candles before checking for gas.
Keeping kids calm
- Practice Drop, Cover, Hold On like a game. Try the Great ShakeOut drill each October.
- Keep shoes and a flashlight under kids' beds.
- Tell kids aftershocks are normal.
Gear that helps
- Furniture anti-tip straps
- Water heater strap kit
- Gas shut-off wrench: my pick, On Duty 4-in-1 Emergency Gas & Water Shut-Off Tool
- Headlamp: my pick, GearLight USB Rechargeable Headlamp, 2 Pack
- Sturdy shoes
- Whistle: my pick, Fox 40 Classic CMG Pealess Whistle with Lanyard
- Water storage: my pick, Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7 gal
- First aid kit: my pick, First Aid Only 298-piece kit
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Sources
Keep going
Prepper tricks for this
Water (10)
Store water the cheap way
Cost: Basically free using soda bottles and tap water.
Why it works: Clean tap water in clean, sealed containers stays safe; the 6-month swap keeps it fresh.
How to do it
- Store at least 1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days; 2 weeks is better if you can.
- Use food-grade containers or washed 2-liter soda bottles.
- Avoid milk jugs. They're hard to clean and break down over time.
- Write the date on each one. Store tap water in a cool, dark spot and replace it every 6 months.
Safety: Don't store water near gasoline, pesticides or cleaners; plastic can absorb fumes.
Source: Ready.gov: Water
Plain bleach: 8 drops per gallon
Cost: A $4 jug of bleach can treat thousands of gallons.
Why it works: Chlorine kills most bacteria and viruses. It's how cities treat drinking water.
How to do it
- Use plain unscented household bleach (6% or 8.25% sodium hypochlorite). No scented, color-safe or splash-less bleach.
- If the water is cloudy, let it settle and pour the clear water off, or filter it first.
- Add 8 drops per gallon for 6% bleach, or 6 drops per gallon for 8.25%. Double it if the water is cloudy or very cold.
- Stir and wait 30 minutes. It should smell faintly of bleach.
- If there's no bleach smell, add the same dose again and wait 15 more minutes.
Safety: Bleach loses strength over time, so replace your jug about once a year. It's less reliable against some parasites like Cryptosporidium; boiling is better if you can. Bleach can't fix water contaminated with fuel or chemicals.
Boiling
Cost: Just fuel.
Why it works: Boiling kills bacteria, viruses and parasites. It's the most reliable home method.
How to do it
- Let cloudy water settle, then pour off the clear water or filter it through a cloth.
- Bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute.
- If you live high up (above about 5,000-6,500 feet), boil for 3 minutes.
- Let it cool, covered. Pour it back and forth between two clean containers to improve the flat taste.
Safety: Burn risk with big pots. Boiling doesn't remove chemicals or fuel.
SODIS: sun-disinfecting water in clear bottles
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Sunlight's UV rays plus heat kill germs in the water. It's tested and used worldwide.
How to do it
- Use clear plastic PET bottles (the kind water and soda come in), 2 liters or smaller, with no scratches. Peel off the labels.
- The water must be clear. If you can't read large print through the bottle, filter it first.
- Fill the bottle 3/4 full, cap it and shake for 20 seconds, then fill it to the top.
- Lay bottles flat in full sun, ideally on a metal roof or foil.
- Leave them 6 hours on a sunny day, or 2 full days if it's more than half cloudy. Don't rely on it on rainy days.
Safety: Doesn't remove chemicals. Doesn't work with glass bottles that block UV, colored bottles or cloudy water. It's a backup, not your first choice.
Source: Eawag SODIS Manual (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science)
Coffee filter or cloth pre-filter
Cost: A few cents.
Why it works: Removing dirt helps bleach and boiling work better and protects water filters from clogging.
How to do it
- Let murky water sit for an hour so dirt settles.
- Pour the top water slowly through a coffee filter, clean t-shirt or paper towel into a clean container.
- Then disinfect it by boiling or with bleach.
Safety: This does NOT make water safe to drink by itself. Germs pass right through.
Fill the bathtub (or a WaterBOB) before the storm
Cost: Free; a tub liner is about $30-40.
Why it works: It's a big, quick water reserve right in your home.
How to do it
- When a storm is coming, scrub and rinse the tub, then fill it.
- For drinking water, use a WaterBOB-type liner (holds up to about 100 gallons) so the water doesn't touch the tub.
- Use plain tub water for flushing, washing and cleaning.
- Use a clean pitcher to scoop, not your hands.
Safety: A full tub is a drowning risk for small children. Keep the bathroom door closed and supervise. Treat liner-free tub water before drinking.
Source: Ready.gov: Water
Your water heater is a 30-80 gallon reserve
Cost: Free; it's already there.
Why it works: The tank holds the same clean water that comes out of your taps. FEMA and CDC list it as a safe source.
How to do it
- Turn off the power to the water heater at the breaker, or turn the gas to 'pilot' or 'off.' Do this FIRST.
- Close the cold-water valve on the pipe at the top of the tank. If the city water might be contaminated, also shut off your main water valve.
- Let the water cool for a few hours.
- Open any hot water faucet in the house to let air into the tank.
- Put a clean container (or a hose) under the drain valve near the bottom of the tank and open it.
- The first bit may have rust or sediment; let it settle and pour off the clear water.
- Don't turn the heater back on until the tank is completely refilled.
Safety: Hot water burns; wait for it to cool. Turning a heater on with an empty tank can ruin it. Don't use water from the heating boiler or radiators in older homes.
Toilet TANK water (never the bowl)
Cost: Free; about 1.5-3 gallons per toilet.
Why it works: Tank water comes straight from your supply line and doesn't touch waste.
How to do it
- Lift the lid off the tank (the back part, not the bowl).
- Only use it if the water is clear and you don't use drop-in tablets or cleaners in the tank (blue or green water means no).
- Scoop it out and boil or bleach it before drinking to be safe.
Safety: Never drink bowl water. Skip tanks with any cleaning chemicals.
Rain catchment basics
Cost: Free with buckets; rain barrels are about $50-100.
Why it works: A 1,000-square-foot roof sheds about 600 gallons per inch of rain.
How to do it
- Set a clean food-grade barrel or bucket under a downspout.
- Put screen or mesh over the top to keep out leaves and mosquitoes.
- Let the first few minutes of rain wash the roof before collecting (a 'first flush').
- Use it for flushing, washing and plants. Filter and then boil or bleach before drinking.
Safety: Roofs collect bird droppings, dust and chemicals, so FEMA says don't drink rainwater untreated. Check local rules; some places limit rain collection.
Source: FEMA: Emergency water sources if you run out of clean water
Pool or hot tub water: for flushing, not drinking
Cost: Free.
Why it works: It's lots of water close by, and flushing doesn't need drinking-quality water.
How to do it
- Use buckets of pool water to flush toilets (pour 1-2 gallons quickly into the bowl).
- Use it for washing floors and other cleaning.
Safety: Don't drink it, even boiled. Pool chemicals and germs don't boil off. Cover the pool so kids can't fall in.
Source: FEMA: Emergency water sources if you run out of clean water
Sanitation (6)
Two-bucket toilet: pee and poop separate
Cost: About $25-40 total.
Why it works: Keeping pee and poop apart cuts the smell way down. Poop stays drier and is easier to handle.
How to do it
- Get two 5-gallon buckets with lids. Label one PEE and one POOP.
- Line the poop bucket with a heavy trash bag (0.9 mil or thicker).
- For a seat, use a snap-on bucket toilet seat (about $15-25), or slit a pool noodle and press it on the rim.
- Pee goes in the pee bucket. Dilute it with water and pour it on dirt or lawn, away from vegetable gardens and wells.
- After each poop, cover it with a scoop of dry material (see the next tip). Toilet paper goes in this bucket too.
- When the poop bucket is half full, tie the bag, double-bag it, and store it away from food, water, pets and pests.
Safety: Never add bleach or cleaners to the pee bucket. Bleach and the ammonia in urine can make harmful fumes. Wash hands after every use.
Source: City of Wilsonville (Oregon): The Two-Bucket Toilet Solution
Cheap cover material: pine pellet bedding and sawdust
Cost: A 40-pound bag of pine pellet bedding is about $7-10 at farm stores.
Why it works: Dry carbon material soaks up moisture, cuts odor, and keeps flies away.
How to do it
- Keep a bag of cover material and a scoop next to the bucket.
- Pine pellet horse or animal bedding is cheap and great: it absorbs and controls smell.
- Other options: sawdust, wood shavings, peat moss, coconut coir, shredded paper, or clay kitty litter.
- Add a cup or two after each use, enough to cover.
Safety: Clay kitty litter works but is heavy. Store cover material dry.
Bucket-flush the toilet when the water is off
Cost: Free.
Why it works: A toilet flush is just a fast dump of water into the bowl; you can do that by hand.
How to do it
- Only do this if the sewer is still working. If you're told the sewer is down, use the two-bucket toilet instead.
- Pour 1-2 gallons of water (pool, rain or tub water is fine) quickly into the toilet bowl.
- The rush of water pushes waste through on its own.
- Don't flush every pee. 'If it's yellow, let it mellow' saves water.
Safety: If the city says sewers are damaged, flushing can back sewage up into homes.
Source: Oregon State University Extension: Survival Basics - Sanitation and Waste Management
Trash discipline
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Rotting food and waste draw flies, rats and smells, and they spread germs.
How to do it
- Trash pickup may stop for weeks. Make less trash: rinse and flatten cans and boxes.
- Seal food scraps in bags and keep them in a lidded can outside, away from the door.
- Keep the toilet bags separate from regular trash.
Safety: Never burn plastic trash; the smoke is toxic.
Source: Oregon State University Extension: Survival Basics - Sanitation and Waste Management
Plunger-in-a-bucket washing machine
Cost: About $10-25.
Why it works: Plunging pushes water through the fabric like a washing machine does.
How to do it
- Get a 5-gallon bucket and a NEW sink plunger (or a 'mobile washer' plunger, about $20).
- Drill a hole in the bucket lid big enough for the plunger handle.
- Add clothes, water and a small squirt of detergent. Plunge up and down for 2-3 minutes.
- Dump the water, refill with clean water, and plunge again to rinse.
- Wring clothes out by twisting and hang them to dry.
Safety: Wet clothes are heavy; wring in small batches to protect your back.
Source: Oregon State University Extension: Survival Basics - Sanitation and Waste Management
Jug hand-washing station (tippy tap)
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Hand washing is one of the best ways to stop stomach bugs, which spread fast when water is off.
How to do it
- Clean out a laundry detergent jug that has a spout, or use a water jug with a spigot.
- Set it on a ledge or table with a bucket underneath.
- Hang a bar of soap on a string (in a mesh bag or old stocking) next to it.
- Wet hands, turn off, lather for 20 seconds, then rinse.
Safety: Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol helps when there's no water, but it doesn't work well on visibly dirty hands.
Source: CDC: About Handwashing