GHS/OCD Promotes Earthquake Preparedness Week

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) invite the community to participate in Earthquake Preparedness Week (EPW), August 2-8, 2021. To commemorate the week, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero will declare the week as EPW with a proclamation signing on Friday, August 6 at 10:30 a.m., via Zoom and can be watched on the Governor’s Facebook page.

GHS/OCD’s EPW is a chance to promote earthquake preparedness as an active collaboration among federal, territorial and local emergency management agencies, community leaders, and the public.

The EPW dates were chosen to commemorate the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Guam on August 8, 1993. EPW provides an excellent opportunity to highlight Guam’s abilities to recognize, respond and recover from the threat earthquakes and tsunamis pose to our community.

EPW will also be used to encourage registration and participation in the upcoming, island-wide earthquake drill, the Great Guam ShakeOut scheduled for October 21, 2021 at 10:21 a.m. The ShakeOut drill encourages residents to practice their earthquake procedure, “Drop, Cover and Hold On” to promote earthquake safety:

DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby.
COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand
- If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter
- If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows)
- Stay on your knees, bend over to protect vital organs
HOLD ON until the shaking stops
- Under shelter: hold on to it with one hand; be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts
- No shelter: hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands

To register to participate in the Great Guam ShakeOut and for more information, visit https://www.shakeout.org/guam/.

Throughout the week of August 2-8 GHS/OCD will promote information through social media about how to build an emergency kit, how to make an emergency communication plan, what to do before, during and after an earthquake, and awareness information. Those interested in participating and finding more information throughout the weeks can follow Guam Homeland Security on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/, follow @guamhomelandsecurity on Instagram and visit the GHS/OCD website at www.ghs.guam.gov.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to use EPW as a chance to open discussions with friends and family about earthquake preparedness by using the following resources:

For more information on EPW, contact GHS/OCD Tsunami Specialist, Denille Calvo at (671) 475-9600 or via email at denille.calvo@ghs.guam.gov.

For media inquiries, contact GHS/OCD Public Information Officer, Jenna Blas at (671) 478-0208 or via email at jenna.g.blas@ghs.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

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Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.