Earthquake Survival Stories

Given the 2011 Japan earthquakes many families have sought out earth quake survival guides, information and emergency protocols. People want to be prepared in case such a disaster was to hit their city (BBC). Most of all they want their loved ones to be prepared to get through a catastrophe like an earthquake. Most earthquake victims cannot survive longer than 48 hours especially if they have sustained injuries and are trapped without water and oxygen. The debris that rises into the air makes breathing difficult and can easily suffocate. However, earthquake survival stories do exist.

There are numerous earthquake survival stories that we can learn from. In the Haiti earthquake, a 14 year old boy survived under the debris of his house for four days because he got trapped in an area with a container that had water! In the Japan earthquake, survivors had no food and no clean water as they searched for their missing loved ones. Even when an earthquake is over, not having anything to survive on for the next few days can be very dangerous and prevent you from looking for and helping others. In a heartwarming story, a small boy of just 10 days old was also found alive under his flattened house after two days by his father. The parents said they had recently fortified the wooden beams of the house – perhaps the reason why their house did not crush the tiny baby.

In the wake of the recent major earthquakes in Japan, Chile, Haiti, Seattle and Pakistan, it is imperative that we all equip ourselves to have a better chance of survival during and after earthquakes. There are many centers in cities and towns now that train people in survival as well as first aid. Often rescue teams cannot find trapped victims right away because of crushed concrete and the danger of removing it causing further harm to survivors. Training in survival, including mental preparation can go a long way toward helping victims in this kind of situation.

Following an earthquake, first aid knowledge is important if you are to help yourself and others who may be injured. If found undamaged, earthquake survival kits can be life saving and have a number of useful supplies including emergency food, water, lighting, a radio, first-aid, sanitation, and shelter supplies.

To get prepared, participate in a local earthquake survival course if available, and keep an earthquake survival kit handy, and in a place where all your family can find it (hopefully undamaged). Ensure that everyone is aware of its contents and how to use them.

Taking the above steps will help you to be more at ease knowing that you have done what you can to prepare for an earthquake. It will also give you a greater chance of surviving an earthquake, should one occur, and make your story an earthquake survival story.