Ready Before the Ground Moves
Earthquake preparedness for San Francisco Bay Area households: emergency kits, home retrofit basics and family plans.
Start here
The Bay Area sits on active faults, and a strong earthquake can strike with no warning. Shaking may last less than a minute. What happens next depends on what you did before it. Earthquake Bay Area is a plain guide for local households: build a kit, secure your home and agree on a family plan.
Three things to do this month
Build a kit
Water, food, light, first aid, medications and copies of key documents. Enough to get through several days without help.
Secure your home
Strap the water heater, anchor tall furniture and learn where and how to shut off gas, water and power.
Make a plan
Choose meeting places, an out-of-area contact and who picks up the kids. Then practice it.
Know the first move: read what to do when the shaking starts.
Why the Bay Area is different
- Bridges and tunnels. Commutes can be cut off. Plan for family members stranded on the other side of the bay.
- Older housing. Many homes predate modern seismic codes and may benefit from retrofit.
- Hills and fill. Landslides and soft, filled ground can make local effects worse.
Official emergency agencies at the city, county and state level publish hazard maps and alert sign-ups. Use them alongside this guide.
Common questions
- What should I do during an earthquake?
- How much water should we store?
- Does my house need a seismic retrofit?
Start with your family plan
How to write a Bay Area family earthquake plan. A kitchen-table walk-through you can finish in an evening.
Earthquake readiness for Bay Area homes: kits, retrofits, plans