Editorial: Earthquake preparations - get yourself sorted

A car trapped at a partially collapsed road caused by a powerful earthquake near Anamizu Town, Ishikawa prefecture in Japan, on January 2. Photo / AP

EDITORIAL

The tragic scenes witnessed in western Japan this week are a reminder of the terrible power of nature.

The powerful earthquakes have left at least 55 dead and damaged thousands of buildings. Aftershocks continue to shake Ishikawa prefecture, days after a magnitude 7.6 quake slammed the area on Monday afternoon. A major tsunami warning was originally issued before being downgraded.

New Zealand is well aware of the impact and power of earthquakes.

Few of us were untouched by the terrible events in Christchurch of February 22, 2011, in which 185 people were killed and thousands injured. The city took years to recover. The Kaikoura earthquake in 2016 caused two deaths and more than $2.2 billion in insurance claims. Major roads were closed for months to repair damage. Earlier last century, at least 256 people died when earthquakes hit Napier, Hastings and Wairoa in the Hawke’s Bay, levelling much of Napier. And many other regions — including Edgecumbe in 1987 — have suffered from their own earthquake dramas.

New Zealand records tens of thousands of quakes each year. Given that number, we are perhaps fortunate so few cause the kind of damage we are now witnessing in Japan — or recently in places such as China, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, and Nepal.

How prepared are you for a jolt?

Earthquake strengthening laws have been implemented — controversially and even perhaps begrudgingly in many areas — with building owners paying to make structures more safe. (Some buildings have been left empty as a result.) Many schools, offices and businesses run training drills, usually for fires but some also to help prepare for quakes. And we have signs warning us of tsunami danger areas in some places — sirens are tested on occasion in some low-lying coastal areas. Civil Defence organisations also undertake training and exercises.

But at a household and individual level, can you hand on heart say you’ve taken the necessary steps in preparation? To quote from the NZ Government’s “Get ready” website: “Make your home safer. Fix and fasten objects that could fall and hurt you in an earthquake. Review your insurance regularly. Having insurance cover for your home and contents is important to help you get back on your feet if you suffer damage in a disaster. Work out what supplies you might need and make a plan together.”

They recommend households practise the “drop, cover and hold” exercise at least twice a year: “It’s important to practise the right action to take so that when a real earthquake happens, you know what to do.”

They say it’s also important to “identify safe spaces to drop, cover and hold within your home, school, work and other places you often visit” and to remember, if you are near the coast, that if an earthquake is long or strong, get gone. In summary, the website recommends people “talk about the impacts; work out what supplies you need; make a plan; tailor your plan; stay informed; and make your home safer.”

When putting such plans in place, it’s easy to feel like a doomsday prepper or an over-worried Chicken Little. It’s even easier to slip into complacency and believe “she’ll be right”. But often that’s not the case. Sensible precautions may well save your life, or those of your loved ones. If you’re not already, get yourself sorted.