earthquake readiness...CONDOLENCE TO HAITI...

good day everyone...another day has gone...This morning i just open the t.v. and found out about the recent status of the victims in the Haiti earthquake it surge to 230,000 deaths and a countless injured... i just had this thought this morning about the earthquake in Haiti... what if that catastrophic incident will hit our place what will i do? can i save my love one's? can i salvage my things? can i secure a safety place for my pets? or can i save myself?...
Here are just some of my SOP's:

Q1: How to prepare yourself for an earthquake?

1. Become familiar with earthquake terms.

-Aftershocks: Tremors that occur in the hours or days after the initial earthquake shaking is over.

-Epicenter: The place on the surface of the earth directly above an earthquake’s first movement (focus).

-Fault: A fracture in the earth’s crust along which rocks have been displaced.

-Focus: The point beneath the surface of the earth where the rocks first break and move, beginning the earthquake.

-Intensity: An indication of an earthquake’s apparent severity at a specific location, based on its effects on people and structures.

-Magnitude: Size of an earthquake determined from the size of the seismic waves it generates as recorded by seismographs.

-Mercalli Scale: The scale used to measure the strength of an earthquake as determined by people’s eyewitness observations.

-Tidal wave: This is a misnomer for a tsunami. Tidal waves occur from the interaction of the moon and large bodies of water. Waves you see rolling into the ocean shore every day are tidal waves.

-Tsunami: A seismic sea wave. An unusually large wave (or series of them) produced by an undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption.

2. Safeguard your home by:

-Bolting bookshelves, water heaters and cabinets to wall studs.

-Anchoring things so that they will not move or fall during an earthquake is the most important thing you can do to make yourself safe. Keeping things in place also means they will not break.

3. There are many ways to make the contents of your home and workplace less hazardous.

-Move cabinets and tall furniture so that if they fall they are not likely to hit people.

-Use steel angle brackets to anchor them to studs in the wall.

-Put heavy or breakable things on bottom shelves. You can even put “fences” or restraining wires to keep items from falling off open shelves.

-Put child-proof or swing-hook latches on bathroom and kitchen cabinets. At work, put strong latches on cabinets where hazardous items are stored.

-Use screw-eyes or tongue-in-groove hangers to mount mirrors or pictures instead of hanging them on nails.

-Be sure that ceiling fans and light fixtures are well anchored or have earthquake safety wiring.

-Anchor typewriters, computers, televisions, stereos and like items with heavy duty Velcro, at home and at work.

-Strap your water heater to anchor it to wall studs. You can buy metal strapping, called plumber’s tape or strap iron, in hardware stores. Use it to strap the heater at the top and bottom. This not only preserves your best source of water but also significantly reduces the fire hazard in your home by preventing a broken gas line.

-Do not assume that anything is too heavy to move in an earthquake. When the ground is going up and down in waves, it bounces even the heaviest equipment into the air.

Q2: Now what should we do when earthquake happened?

1. Get under a heavy table or desk and hold on, or sit or stand against an inside wall.
2. Keep away from windows.
3. If indoors, stay indoors.
4. If outdoors, stay outdoors away from falling debris, trees and power lines.
5. If in a car, stay in the car.
6. Many injuries occur when people act on their impulse to run.
Train yourself to take cover where you are.

Q3: What if I'm inside a building during earthquake?

For most of us the biggest danger in an earthquake is not from a building collapsing, but from things inside the building falling or flying around while the building is shaking.
Hazards found inside buildings include overhead lights, ceiling tiles, cabinets, windows, furniture and equipment.

If an earthquake happens, the best thing to do is:

1. Drop, cover, and hold on.

-Get under a table.

-If there are no tables, get under or down between rows of chairs or against inner walls.

2. Do not stand in a doorway. Buildings today have so much partitioning, much of which is temporary, that many doorways are actually weak points. Doorways are not a good solution in a group situation either.

3. If you have nothing to get under, sit down against an interior wall or next to a chair, holding on if possible.

4. If you are in bed, it’s best to stay there, hold on, and pull the pillows over your head for protection.

5. If children are in another room, take cover in the closest safe place and call to them to do the same.

Children will need you alive and unhurt after the earthquake. Avoid the urge to run to protect your children, as that puts you in more danger of being hurt or injured.

Q4: What if I'm outside a building during earthquake?

1. Outside, get away from buildings, walls, trees and power lines.

-If you cannot get clear of hazards, getting back inside a building is better than staying on the sidewalk.

-Sidewalks next to buildings are among the worst places to be.

2.In a car, ease off the accelerator and slow down carefully. Do not stop on or under overpasses and bridges if you can avoid them. Be aware of what traffic around you is doing and act accordingly.

3. If you live in coastal areas, be aware of possible tsunamis.

Q5: What should we do after an earthquake?

1. Take basic precautions immediately after an earthquake. In addition to those outlined in the General Family Preparedness, Residential Fires and Hazardous Materials Accidents sections you should:

2. Expect aftershocks.

3. Avoid using vehicles except in emergencies.

4. Check yourself for injuries and protect yourself by putting on shoes, work gloves and any other protective gear at hand.

5. If the electricity is off, turn on a flashlight.

6. Once you are sure that you’re all right, check the people around you for injuries.

-You might ask loudly, “Is everyone okay?” This will also help calm people.

-The types of injuries that happen most often in an earthquake include cuts, bruises, fractures and physiological shock.

7. Check the entire building for structural damage and chemical spills. Refer to the section on Hazardous Materials Accidents for further response information.
Check chimneys for cracks and damage. The initial check should be made from a distance. Have a professional inspect the chimney for internal damage that could lead to fire.

8. Right after an earthquake, hang up your phone. If the receivers are shaken off the hooks, these lines register as “open” in the system and it overloads. You can help restore telephone service by hanging up your phone...
...CONDOLENCE TO HAITI...for the lost

happy festivities cebu......PIT SEñOR

nice to be back...
yesterday's event was one of a few good start of the year...
sinulog... once a year, we cebuanos celebrated it in honor, in one of our patron saint SR. Sto. Niño here in Cebu...it is said to be miraculous...but for me as a christian i'm not upto the miracle that he've done... it is as if his just a source of faith but not a source of a miracle"since this is only my view of my belief...i'm just avoiding crossfires". But even so, let us still live to what GOD has planned for us... for poorer or for richer... asta la vista adios...