California Earthquake Preparedness: What to Put in Your Go-Bag and What to Do When the Ground Starts Shaking
what should i put in an earthquake go-bag in california
California's Office of Emergency Services recommends at least 72 hours' worth of water (one gallon per person per day) and non-perishable food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, copies of important documents in a waterproof bag, cash in small bills, and any prescription medications or medical supplies your household relies on.
do i need to sign up for ShakeAlert earthquake warnings in california
No separate sign-up is required. ShakeAlert-powered earthquake warnings in California are delivered through the federal Wireless Emergency Alert system, the same channel used for Amber Alerts. They push automatically to compatible smartphones based on your location. Check your phone's settings to confirm emergency alerts are enabled, since some users turn them off.
what do you do during an earthquake if you're inside
If you're inside when an earthquake starts, Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Get low, take cover under a sturdy table or desk if one is nearby, and hold on until shaking stops. If no table is close, drop against an interior wall away from windows and protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not run outside while the ground is shaking.
how do i sign up for earthquake or evacuation alerts in my california county
Most California counties operate their own emergency alert systems, separate from federal wireless alerts, to send evacuation orders and local safety notices by phone, text, or email. To sign up, visit your county's Office of Emergency Services website and look for an alert registration link. Cal OES maintains a directory of county emergency offices at caloes.ca.gov.
what should i check at home after an earthquake stops
After shaking stops, check for injuries before inspecting your property. If you smell gas, leave the building immediately without using any switches or open flames and call your utility provider's gas emergency line from a safe distance. Check for structural cracks, avoid using your fireplace until the chimney is inspected, and monitor your county's Office of Emergency Services for official damage assessment updates.
- USGS Live Earthquake Map — real-time magnitude, depth, and aftershock tracking
- MyShake Early Warning App — California's free earthquake early-warning app
- Cal OES Earthquake Preparedness — official state guidance on what to do before, during, and after
California sits atop some of the most seismically active fault lines in the country, and the U.S. Geological Survey's ShakeAlert early-warning system now covers the entire state - which means some residents get a few seconds of warning before shaking arrives. A few seconds isn't much time to think. The point of preparing now is that you won't have to.
Related: Your California Go-Bag Checklist: What Emergency Officials Actually Recommend You Pack · San Diego County Property Taxes: When They're Due, How to Pay, and What to Do If You Can't
What to Put in Your Earthquake Go-Bag
Cal OES recommends that every California household keep a go-bag or emergency kit stocked and accessible. The core of it: enough water for each person to drink for at least 72 hours (one gallon per person per day is the standard guidance), and enough non-perishable food to match. Beyond that, the list gets practical fast.
Include a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio, since cell networks and power are often the first things to go after a major quake. A flashlight with extra batteries, a manual can opener, a basic first-aid kit, copies of important documents (insurance cards, IDs, prescriptions) in a waterproof bag, and enough cash in small bills to function if card readers are down. If anyone in your household takes prescription medication, keep at least a several-day supply rotated into the kit. The same applies to infant formula, hearing aids and extra batteries, or anything else that's medically necessary and hard to replace on short notice.
Cal OES and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services maintain a full recommended supply list at caloes.ca.gov - worth checking because the guidance gets updated and your situation (apartment vs. house, urban vs. rural, pets) changes what you actually need.
What to Do During the Shaking
The standard guidance from USGS and Cal OES is Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Get low to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table if one is close, and hold on until the shaking stops. If there's no table nearby, drop to your hands and knees against an interior wall, away from windows, and protect your head and neck with your arms.
Do not run outside during shaking. Falling glass, structural debris, and downed power lines make the outdoors more dangerous than staying put in most cases. If you're already outside when shaking starts, move away from buildings, utility lines, and overpasses, and stay low. If you're driving, pull over away from bridges and overpasses, set the parking brake, and stay in the vehicle until the shaking stops.
ShakeAlert-powered wireless emergency alerts are now available to compatible Android and iPhone users in California. These are the same alerts you'd get for an Amber Alert or tornado warning, sent automatically based on your phone's location. You don't need to sign up for ShakeAlert separately - the alerts push through your phone's standard emergency alert system, though it's worth checking that emergency alerts aren't turned off in your settings.
What to Do After the Shaking Stops
Expect aftershocks, and treat each one the same way - Drop, Cover, Hold On. After the main event, check yourself and others for injuries before assessing property damage. If you smell gas, don't use any switches, open flames, or electronics near the source; leave the building, leave the door open behind you, and call your utility provider or 911 from a safe distance. PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E each have gas emergency lines that are separate from their standard customer service numbers, and those numbers are worth writing down and keeping in your go-bag now.
Don't use your fireplace until a professional inspects the chimney - a quake can damage the flue without any obvious exterior sign. Check for cracks in your foundation, walls, and around your water heater. If your building has visible structural damage or you have any doubt about its safety, don't go back inside. Your county's Office of Emergency Services or local fire department will post damage assessment information; Cal OES coordinates that process at the state level.
Text rather than call in the immediate aftermath. Voice networks saturate quickly after a major earthquake, but text messages often still get through. If you have a designated out-of-state contact your household checks in with, text them first so local lines stay available for people who need emergency services.
See also: Earthquake Bay Area: What We Know Right Now · Earthquake Reported in California: What We Know Right Now
How to Make Sure You'll Get Official Alerts
Wireless Emergency Alerts reach most cell phones automatically, but local evacuation orders and post-quake safety information often come through county-specific alert systems. Most California counties use a system that lets residents register a landline, alternate cell number, or email address to receive notifications - because wireless carriers don't always route alerts to numbers with out-of-area area codes that happen to be physically in the county.
To sign up, search for your county's name along with "emergency alerts" or "Nixle" or "Everbridge" - those are two of the more common platforms counties use, though not every county uses the same one. Your county's Office of Emergency Services website is the right starting point. If you're not sure which county office handles it, Cal OES maintains a directory of county emergency management offices at caloes.ca.gov. This takes about five minutes and is worth doing before you need it.
A Note on Renters and Apartment Dwellers
Go-bag guidance is often written with single-family homes in mind, but renters and apartment residents face some specific considerations. Know your building's age - California's soft-story retrofit programs have required many older wood-frame apartment buildings in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco to undergo structural upgrades, but not all buildings in all cities are covered, and not all retrofits are complete. Your city's building or planning department can tell you whether your building is in a retrofit program and what its status is.
If you rent, you likely can't bolt furniture and water heaters to the wall yourself without landlord permission - but you can ask your landlord to do it, and in some jurisdictions that's something tenant advocates have pushed as a standard habitability measure. At minimum, know where the exits are, know where the gas shutoff is for your unit or building, and make sure everyone in your household knows a meeting spot outside in case you can't communicate after a major event.
This is general information, not legal or financial advice - check Cal OES at caloes.ca.gov and your county's Office of Emergency Services for guidance specific to your location and situation.