Earthquake Safety Tips

Earthquakes can strike without warning, and being prepared for such a disaster can mean the difference between life and death. Here are some tips to help you and your loved ones make it through a quake:

* Those living in areas not prone to earthquakes can respond quickly to the plight of disaster victims in quake zones by complacently smirking and saying, "I told you so."

* To minimize loss and damage in a quake, try not to own things.

* Practice your burrowing-out-from-under-40-tons-of-rubble skills ahead of time.

* Look out your window often. If you see a large, zig-zag-shaped crevasse moving rapidly from the horizon toward your home, step either to the right or the left.

* For those who fear earthquakes, it may comfort you to know that a majority of the damage during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake did not come from the tremors themselves. Instead, it was from the raging, out-of-control fires that consumed most of the city.

* A doorway is the safest place to be during a quake (as long as there is no furniture in the rooms on either side of the doorway). Eat, sleep and work in doorways.

* Be sure to mail your house-insurance payments a full five business days before a major earthquake strikes.

* In the event of a quake, get under something heavy, such as a desk, a table or your uncle.

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