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Earthquakes
Prepare for an earthquake before it strikes - information to help you understand the dangers and what you can do before a disaster (information below).
Recover from a earthquake - recognize possible environmental hazards and what you can do to protect your and your family's health, and for commercial buildings and schools (information below).
General (non-emergency) information from the U.S. Geologic Survey.
Many of the links below go to sites outside EPA. 
Prepare for an earthquake.
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Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake.
Protect your health and the environment:
Drinking water and food
- Make a kit of supplies. (ready.gov) Keep at least a 3-day water supply per person -and don't forget pets. What you can do to protect your household well.
- Prepare food supplies for an emergency. Get a fridge thermometer to be sure of safe storage temperatures if you lose electricity. Freeze extra containers of water ahead of time. Use ice chests in case power is out for more than four hours. More info...
- For water and wastewater facilities - Suggested activities to help facilities prepare. Please note, the linked information is written for hurricane preparedness but much of it will still apply to earthquake preparedness activities.
Other sites
related to preparedness
Six ways to plan ahead
- FEMA
Prepare your home and family
- American Red Cross
Make a plan for natural disasters
- Ready.gov
Debris - Planning For Disaster Debris Damage from an earthquake depends on the size, extent, and other factors. Damage debris can include destroyed structures, hazardous waste, green waste, or personal property. More information
Chemical or fertilizer storage - Properly designed or modified storage facilities enhance worker safety and minimize the risk contamination.
During and after an earthquake.
Other sites
related
to recovery
After an earthquake
- CDC
Recovering from disasters - Federal Emergency Management Agency
Natural disasters - Ready.gov
During an earthquake: Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur. Read more from FEMA
- Earthquakes in coastal areas can cause a tsunami - read more
After an earthquake: Expect aftershocks. Stay away from damaged areas. Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, gasoline, or other flammable liquids immediately. Read more from FEMA
More to protect your health and the environment:
ALERT: Generator exhaust is toxic. Always put generators outside well away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas. Carbon monoxide (CO) is deadly, can build up quickly, and linger for hours. More information
Indoor air: Broken gas lines greatly increase the risk of fire, explosion, or poor air quality. If you smell gas, open windows and shut off the main gas line. Notify the utility or other authorities.
Drinking water and food
- Boiling water information To kill all major water-borne bacterial pathogens, bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Boil 3 minutes at elevations above 5280 ft (1 mile or 1.6 km). Getting and disinfecting water (fema.gov)
- Make sure older adults have enough water to drink. Older adults may feel thirsty less, and dehydration can be life threatening to an elderly person. More info...
- What to do about water from household wells after a flood . Do not turn on the pump - danger of electric shock. Do not drink or wash with water from the flooded well. More info. General info about household wells.
- Keeping food safe during an emergency. Don't test spoiled food by tasting it! (usda.gov)
- For water and wastewater facilities - Suggested activities to help facilities recover from severe weather conditions. Please note, the linked information is written for hurricane recovery but much of it will still apply to earthquake recovery activities as well.
ALERT
Boil Drinking Water
If your water may not be safe, bring drinking water to a rolling boil for 1 minute to kill water-borne diseases.
More info | en español
Pesticides, chemical and oil spills, hazardous waste
- Call the National Response Center 1-800-424-8802 (24 hours a day every day). For those without 800 access, please call 202-267-2675.
- Industries and businesses that encounter spills or discharges in the aftermath should contact the National Response Center immediately. You or your organization may have legal requirements for reporting or for taking other actions, depending on the spill.
- National Pesticide Information Center: 1-800-858-7378. Pesticide contacts
- General information about environmental emergencies
Debris
- What To Do With Disaster Debris - Disasters can generate tons of debris, including building rubble, soil and sediments, green waste (e.g., trees and shrubs), personal property, ash, and charred wood. How a community manages disaster debris depends on the debris generated and the waste management options available. Burying or burning is no longer acceptable, except when permission or a waiver has been granted, because of the side effects of smoke and fire from burning, and potential water and soil contamination from burial. Typical methods of recycling and solid waste disposal in sanitary landfills often cannot be applied to disaster debris because of the large volume of waste and reluctance to overburden existing disposal capacity. More information...
- Disposing of debris from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)