Tips on preparing for a major earthquake

Tuesday’s violent 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico is serving as another reminder for many people on the importance of being prepared

Sergio Gutierrez remembers touching base with his family living around Mexico City after a major earthquake destroyed buildings and killed hundreds of people in the area.

More Earthquake Preparedness Tips

“Sure enough, they were doing ok and everybody seems to be fine. They were shooken up, and I could tell in his voice, they were shaky,” said Sergio Gutierrez.

The earthquake has Gutierrez and others emphasized on being prepared if an earthquake were to hit our area.

“Definitely has me thinking about having my emergency kit updated, and ready to go,” Gutierrez said.

Emergency management officials say items such as non-perishable foods, bottled water, tools, batteries, flashlights, and fuel should be staples for your earthquake preparedness kit.

Officials suggest signing up for an emergency response training class to be better prepared in the event of a major earthquake. They also recommend looking into insurance for your home.

“Its really brought to the forefront the importance of being prepared for disasters. What to do before, after and during a disaster and it’s tragic what happened,” said Britt Wilson, emergency services coordinator for the city of Rancho Mirage. “If people properly plan, they can mitigate a lot of the damages that might occur, and the losses that would occur.”