How to prepare and secure your home before an earthquake hits

In July 2019, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit Ridgecrest, and a day later, a 7.1 quake hit the same region. The shaking was felt across Southern California, making it one of the largest quakes the region has experienced in about 20 years.

Ready America, a company focused on earthquake safety, has a quake simulator that resembles a living room when shaking happens. The main goal is to get prepared.

The company's vice president, Trevyn Reese, said the first step is preparing your space.

"One of the first things you can do is go around your home, we call them a 'hazard hunt,' and identify those items that can potentially be harmful," Reese said.

Top-heavy furniture, such as bookshelves, should be secured with safety straps.

"It's a flexible nylon strap that adheres to the top or sides of your cabinet and drills into the stud in the wall so that flexibility doesn't rip straight out of the wall, ripping that stud out," Reese said.

Other tips include earthquake putty to secure items inside cabinets. People should also secure their TVs to stands and walls, hang picture frames with proper hooks, not nails. When the shaking hits, remember drop, cover and hold on.

"You don't want to stand in a doorway, if you do and you are holding onto the frame, and that door slams, you could break your hand," Reese said. "Find something sturdy like your desk or dining room table, so it's really important that you drop cover and hold on, cover your head and neck and hold on with one hand."

Reese said that once the shaking stops, take a moment to check your surroundings before you get up. Furniture or other parts of the structure you are in might have fallen, creating dangerous conditions.  

When the next big quake hits, preparation can make all the difference.