I know. I had to rub my eyes and read the headline again. Sure enough. A 3.0 tremor in New Jersey. This is just the most recent in a string of oddly placed earthquakes. Midwest. Reno. Now New Jersey. It reminds us that earthquake preparedness is not just something for those crazy folks in California and Japan. Everyone should know what to do during a tremor.

So, for all you non-Golden State people out there, here is a quick primer on earthquake safety:

1. Find a safe spot – as soon as you feel shaking, run for cover. Good cover may be a doorway or under a solid piece of furniture. Note: most furniture from Wal-Mart or Ikea does not qualify as good earthquake cover. Ride it out at your safe spot until the shaking stops.

2. Shoes and glasses – since earthquakes have a 33 percent chance of striking at night, keep a pair of glasses and foot cover (shoes, bunny slippers, etc.) close to your bed. Earthquakes are known for breaking glass. The last thing you want is to be stumbling around your house, blind as a bat, and put your foot down on a shard of glass.

3. Fasten things down – if you have a habit of hanging large mirrors, pictures, shelves, or other decorations up on walls, make sure they can stand a little shaking.

4. Fill up the tub – earthquakes can break water mains, cutting off water to whole city blocks. You never know when authorities will be able to come in and turn it back on. As soon as a quake hits, fill your tub. This should be enough essential drinking water for you for a couple days.

5. Shut off the gas – Broken gas lines are also common in earthquakes. Depending on the severity of the quake, consider shutting off your gas to avoid blowing your place sky high. Use this with caution- it can take days to get the gas company back in to turn it back on.

Well, wherever you are, I hope this helps you to get ready for a random earthquake.
 

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