Earthquakes: Protection and preparedness

Almannavarnadeild ríkislögreglustjóra minnir fólk á viðbrögð og varnir gegn jarðskjálfta og einnig á viðbrögð eftir jarðskjálfta. Hægt er að lesa nánar á almannavarnir.is

Furniture:
Secure cabinets, shelves and heavy items to the floor or wall. Keep the castors on furniture always locked. If the castors do not have a locking mechanism, fit a frame around them to prevent the furniture from moving during an earthquake. However, please note that a frame or a lock on castors will not prevent furniture from tipping over. Secure light decorative items with Blu-Tack.

Loose items and ornaments:
Do not place heavy items on high shelves or walls without securing them firmly. Blu-Tack can be used to prevent lighter items from shifting during an earthquake. Heavy tableware and objects are best stored in lower cupboards, preferably locked.

Heating appliances and radiators:
Secure heating appliances and ovens. Familiarise yourself with the location and shut-off point for the water supply and the electrical panel. Securely fasten heat pump heaters. A leak can cause significant damage if the water is not shut off immediately. The same applies to the connections for washing machines and dishwashers.

Photos, chandeliers:
Secure pictures and chandeliers in closed loops.

Cupboard doors:
Store heavy tableware in the lower cupboards/drawers and fit safety/child locks to cupboard doors to prevent their contents from falling out.

Accommodation:
Prevent cupboards, paintings, fragile and heavy items from falling onto sleeping areas. Avoid placing beds near large windows and load-bearing walls.

Air and floor:
Finish suspended ceilings and raised floors well.

Windows:
Cover windows or fit safety film to glass to prevent a shower of shards if a pane breaks. Do not place beds under windows if there is a risk of earthquakes.

Insurance:
Compensation from the Icelandic Natural Disaster Insurance for property is based on fire insurance, which is compulsory.

Radio and announcements:
Listen to announcements and instructions broadcast on the radio. It is a good idea to have a longwave radio in case FM stations go off the air. You can then listen to the radio in your car.

Telephones:
Mobile phones are of little use if the power goes out for a long time. It can be a good idea to have a car charger or a power bank to charge mobile phones. Send a text message to your nearest and dearest instead of calling (especially after a major earthquake) to reduce the strain on the emergency phone network.

In earthquake-prone areas, the effects of earthquakes can be reduced through earthquake drills to be better prepared when a major earthquake strikes:

• CRUMP – SHIELD – HOLD is a phrase that is worth committing to memory.