5 things Oklahoma parents should do to prepare their homes and families for disaster
USGS Map of "Did You Feel It?" Responses for the November 6 Earthquake
The USGS tells us that though Oklahoma can expect more earthquakes in the aftermath of the weekend’s series of quakes, they will decrease in intensity over the coming weeks and months. That said, like Californians and their earthquakes, people in Oklahoma have plenty of reasons to prepare for disaster and to do things to keep their families safe. If you prepare your family, you’re more likely to survive and your whole household will recover faster.
During the earthquake, we hope that at least some Oklahomans did drop, cover and hold on. But in Oklahoma you also need to teach your kids how to stay calm and what to do in case of tornado, fire, or flood. Keeping kids calm and informed will make it easier to keep them safe during a disaster. Here are 5 things we encourage all Oklahoma residents to do to prepare for earthquakes, fires, tornados, and floods.
| Preparedness Task | Oklahomans Do this Because… | Californians Do this Because… |
| Anchoring tall furniture & securing cabinets. | Sure, you may not have an earthquake again, but when your kid climbs on it, it will fall over and be just as dangerous. | Kid-proofing home, protecting family from falling furniture & cabinet contents in earthquakes. |
| Emergency Wallet Cards for whole family | Provides entire family with means of reunifying if split up during tornado, fire, or flood (and yes, earthquakes) | Provides entire family with means of reunifying if split up during earthquake. |
| Learn Kids’ School Disaster Plan | Ensures your kids’ safety and your ability to find them after a tornado, fire, flood | Ensures your kids’ safety and your ability to find them during earthquake. |
| Practice Disaster Drill with Kids | Help your kids avoid panic during an actual emergency by teaching them what to do in a tornado, fire, or flood. | Help your kids avoid panic during an actual emergency by teaching them what to do in case of an earthquake or fire. |
| Put together a home disaster kit and one for your car too. | Provide your family with needed supplies after a loss of power during storms, or supplies if evacuation is called for. | Provide family with needed supplies after a loss of power during an earthquake, or supplies if evacuation is called for. |
Oklahoma has a superbly strong disaster preparedness community, and we hope parents will take this opportunity to help prepare their families so they’ll survive the next disaster, which may not be an earthquake, but is more likely power outage, fire, flood, or tornado. Remember, if you prepare now, you’ll survive and recover faster.