Earthquakes: Are you prepared for It?

earthquake - photo of rescuers helping a survivor of the L'Aquila city quake in Italy. Photo courtesy of the Associated Press (AP).
@agmamayo (804)
Philippines
April 6, 2009 6:50am CST
L'aquila, Italy - A 6.3 earthquake struck this mountanenous city in Italy and left about 70 people dead so far, and the goverment is expecting a rise in death toll basing from the amount of damaged caused by the jolt. Thousands of residents are left homeless and the rescuers are having a hard time finding more survivors along the rubbles. They race against time to free those who are trapped among destroyed buildings and apartments in order to decrease the possible rise of death accountable to lack of food and air to breath. Earthquakes pose a great threat in life and property, and can struck any place, a nation rich or poor, and even cities big and small. There are so many earthquake drills that have been conducted but are you prepared for the worst?. What can you do in times like this?. Share your ideas and thoughts.
4 people like this
13 responses
@yytan77 (16)
• Malaysia
7 Apr 09
Earthquake is one of the disaster that we have never prepared for it because it has never happened in my country. However, I think that our government should get ready on all kinds of training, precaution and preparation for earthquake. We had tsunami back few years ago and no one is prepare for that. We do not even have the warning system installed for this disaster. At the end, many people has lost their hometown and it took them a long time to get back to normal life.
1 person likes this
• Nepal
7 Apr 09
hi agmamayo, Sorry to hear about Earthquakes on Italy.It is very sad incident that nature penetrate us. Hope in future it will not occur to any country. Yes, its good to be prepare in earthquake time but it does not come with give signel to us. I think its depend upon resourses used from earth causes earthquake occurs. God knows rest. have a nice day.
• United States
7 Apr 09
I live in California, so everyone who lives in this state had better be earthquake prepared, especially those living in San Francisco or those on the San Andreas Fault, you all know who I am talking to. You people are just asking for it if you live in those specific areas. Earthquakes do not discriminate, they will strike twice in one area.
1 person likes this
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
Living here in the Philippines pose the same risk of having a major earthquake. And as to when would that happen we all are in the dark as to when. So far so good in our place we are not jolted by a large one and hopefully we would not have one soon. Disaster preparedness is something all nations would want to think they are ready but when earthquake of this magnitude happens we are always caught unprepared for such eventualities. These incidents just shows that nature is really in control of everything in here and sometimes we are at her mercy when this things happen. let us just hope and pray that this will not happen in the places where we live and when that time happens we are safe and with our families.
1 person likes this
• Indonesia
7 Apr 09
For some natural disaster, we can predict when it happen we can just prepared for the worst think... If we live country that the earthquake frequently happen we must make our house stronger.. We must keep supply of food,medical, etc.. But the best is we can move to other area or country, to more void this natural disaster.
@skyla26 (284)
• Philippines
7 Apr 09
earthquakes is hard to avoid we cannot stop.. and that is one of the worst things that will happen on earth..because many life's will lost because of that
1 person likes this
@rymebristol (1808)
• Philippines
6 Apr 09
it was reported earlier in a television program here in the Philippines, it said that it's a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. as i've looked into the place, lots of buildings had been destroyed, people had lost their lives. the last time i had experienced being in an earthquake was in the year 2004, i think that was when Taal Volcano made a comeback, but it did not erupted. just a 3 to 4 magnitude quake. if ever a 6 to 7.5 magnitude quake hit our place, i am pretty certain that there will be lots and lots of properties in pieces and in rumbles, many lives as well will be lost. people at this kind of event should help each other regardless of anything.
• China
7 Apr 09
oh. really sorry to hear that disastrous.i still remember the sad times of last year that an large Earthquake in China also destoried thousands of buildings and thousands familes.the lost is uncountable and even the Govement donot know how to prevent such natural disastrous.hope the scientist and technologies can be advanced as soon as possible so we can reduce the lost to the least.
1 person likes this
@pickwick (858)
• India
6 Apr 09
Hi!Although no earthquake drills have been conducted yet in the place where I reside but it is taught in school how to save oneself in case of an earthquake. 1)If possible go out in open spaces in parks but not near or under a tree. 2)Never stand near a doorway as was earlier believed to be best to do when there was an earthquake as the doorway might be weak . 3)Seek shelter near bulky objects like table or sofa if one is trapped inside the house. 4)Switch off tye main switch of the electric and gas connection .
1 person likes this
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
6 Apr 09
Earthquakes are really dangerous. We have had daunting earthquakes in 1950 that measured 8.8 and it took a heavy tills. Still we are apprehensive of one or two shortly as per the prediction of the seismologists. Ours is a high earthquake zone. Do not know what is there in store for us.
1 person likes this
• Italy
6 Apr 09
I live in Italy not far from this we can never be prepared, your house can still full down
1 person likes this
@mhuy2x (47)
• Philippines
6 Apr 09
I saw the news on TV and I feel sad to all the victims. Disaster like this is unexpected because you never know when it will hit you. We just have to be calm and try not to panic so that we will be able what to do when disaster like this arises.
1 person likes this
@snow_one (202)
• United States
7 Apr 09
i really don't think i am prepared for an earthquake in my area. we never had, had an earthquake my entire life and just last year we had a good size one. it wasn't nothing major or anything. it was just not some thing that happens around here and a lot of people was in a kind of shock from it.
1 person likes this