Earthquake preparedness refers to a variety of measures designed to help individuals, businesses, and local and state governments in earthquake prone areas to prepare for significant earthquakes. Preparedness measures are part of the emergency management cycle, and can be refined through the use of a good Earthquake scenario. // Emergency management (or disaster management) is the discipline dealing of with and avoiding risks. ... An Earthquake scenario is an ideal planning tool to determine the correct emergency responses, and to outline possible high-risk areas. ...

Introduction

Earthquake preparedness measures can be divided into:

• Retrofitting and earthquake resistant designs of new buildings and lifeline structures (e.g. bridges, hospitals, power plants).
• Response doctrines for state and local government emergency services.
• Preparedness plans for individuals and businesses.

Retro is a contemporary term used to describe things from a bygone era. ... For the town in the Republic of Ireland, see Hospital, County Limerick. ... A power station (also power plant) is a facility for the generation of electric power. ... Emergency services are public services that deal with emergencies and other aspects of Public Safety. ...

Building design and retrofitting

Main article: Seismic retrofit

In the United States, buildings codes in earthquake prone states currently often have specific requirements designed to increase new buildings' resistance to earthquakes. Older buildings and homes that are not up to code may be retrofitted to increase their resistance. Such retrofitting is often required for older governmental buildings under state laws. Retrofitting and earthquake resistant design are also employed in elevated freeways and bridges. Current buildings code is not designed to make buildings earthquake proof in the sense of them suffering zero damage. The goal of most building designs is to reduce earthquake damage to a building such that it protects the lives of occupants and thus tolerance of some limited damage is accepted and considered a necessary tradeoff [1]. Earthquake retrofitting techniques and modern building codes are designed to prevent total destruction of buildings for earthquakes of no greater than 8.5 on the Richter Scale [2]. Seismic retrofitting is the modification of existing structures to make them more resistant to seismic activity, ground motion, or soil failure due to earthquakes. ... For specific systems, such as the Autobahns of Germany, see list of highway systems with full control of access and no cross traffic. ... The Richter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ...

Personal preparedness

Homeowners, renters, and businesses in earthquake territory are encouraged by governments to have an earthquake kit available with enough supplies for three days. From experience, this is considered the amount of time it takes for emergency services to reach full strength. Such disaster supplies kits are also useful in other natural hazards. State and federal governments publish earthquake preparedness booklets. [3]. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into survival kit. ...

Other things one can do are moving heavy or dangerous objects from high places to low, securing bookshelves and other furniture that could topple into the wall, replacing halogen and incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones to minimize fire risk. Having a disaster supply kit is useful, but access is an important factor, having close access to battery powered light everywhere in the home may be of great help during emergencies. This article is about the chemical series. ... Incandescence is the release of electromagnetic radiation from a hot body due to its high temperature. ... Fluorescence induced by exposure to ultraviolet light in vials containing various sized cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots. ...

External links

• USGS Earthquake hazards
• earthquakecountry.info Answers to FAQs about Earthquakes and Earthquake Preparedness
• The Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC)
• Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country An Earthquake Science and Preparedness Handbook produced by SCEC
• Dare to Prepare An earthquake preparedness campaign with detailed information of securing your building and its contents
• The Great New Madrid Earthquake of 1811/1812 (Central USA)
• [4] University of Mississippi,Center for Community Earthquake Preparedness