Homeowner earthquake preparedness: reduce indoor hazards before shaking begins
Household preparation cannot change regional seismic hazard and does not prove that a building is structurally safe, but it can substantially reduce injuries and losses caused by falling furniture, broken glass, gas leakage, blocked exits and confusion. AFAD recommends family disaster planning, securing heavy items, preparing an emergency kit, identifying assembly areas and practising Çök-Kapan-Tutun (Drop-Cover-Hold On). Property owners also have an operational role: maintaining utilities, understanding building condition, keeping insurance current and coordinating with apartment management.
Create a written family disaster plan
Decide who assists children, older people, disabled household members and animals, where everyone meets if communications fail and who serves as an out-of-area contact. Record the home address, emergency numbers, essential medicines and the location of the emergency bag. AFAD advises periodic review and practice; a plan that nobody has rehearsed has limited value during the first confusing minutes.
Secure heavy furniture and appliances
Bookcases, wardrobes, televisions, refrigerators, water heaters and equipment that can topple should be secured using fixings suitable for the wall and load. Place heavy objects on lower shelves and move mirrors and heavy pictures away from beds and seating. Use catches or barriers on cabinets containing glass or breakable items. A decorative screw is not enough for a large cabinet; anchoring should match the construction.
Check gas, electricity and water
Repair damaged electrical cables and connections that can leak gas or water. Know the location of gas and water shut-offs and the electrical main switch and understand how to isolate them safely. AFAD guidance advises shutting utilities after shaking when appropriate and safe. Never create a flame or operate an electrical switch where a gas leak is suspected. Keep any tool needed for a shut-off accessible.
Prepare a practical emergency kit
Include drinking water, appropriate food, torch, spare batteries, power bank, whistle, first-aid supplies, copies of essential documents, personal medication, basic clothing and infant or pet needs where relevant. Rotate food, medicines and batteries before expiry. The bag should be portable and stored where it is likely to remain accessible after shaking rather than buried under heavy storage.
Practise Drop-Cover-Hold On
During shaking, AFAD advises staying away from windows and unsecured objects and using Çök-Kapan-Tutun in a safer location rather than running for stairs or lifts. Do not jump from windows or balconies and do not use a lift during the event. Rehearsal matters because people under stress tend to follow practised behaviour more reliably than instructions they have only read once.
Identify evacuation routes and assembly areas
Keep corridors and exits free of storage and know the stairs and any alternative safe route. After shaking stops, if evacuation is appropriate and safe, follow the building plan and official guidance to the designated assembly area. Government channels allow residents to identify nearby emergency assembly locations. Avoid making the immediate building entrance the family meeting point because falling façade elements and crowding can create hazards.
Coordinate with building management
Ask about emergency lighting, fire exits, generator operation, water pumps, common utility shut-offs, security responsibilities and the resident assembly procedure. A large building needs a communication chain rather than everyone improvising. Emergency exits should not be locked or blocked with stored property. Periodic building drills improve familiarity with routes and responsibilities.
Separate household preparation from structural safety
Anchoring a wardrobe does not correct weak concrete, soil problems or structural alterations. Significant cracking, column changes, corrosion signs or a history of structural intervention should be evaluated by qualified professionals. AFAD’s earthquake hazard information provides regional context but does not certify the safety of an individual building. Good preparedness combines behavioural measures with technical investigation where warranted.
Maintain DASK and understand its limits
DASK provides compulsory financial protection for specified direct material earthquake damage and certain earthquake-related events within the policy’s terms and limits. It does not cover household contents, loss of rent or every indirect expense. Keep the policy number and claims contact information available and consider supplementary insurance for contents, liability or alternative accommodation according to the owner’s needs.
Plan for the hours after shaking
Expect communications, water or electricity to be interrupted. Use telephone networks primarily for necessary communication and emergencies. Check for injury, fire and leakage before normal use resumes. Do not enter or remain in a visibly damaged building when authorities warn against access. Follow AFAD and local-authority instructions on assembly, assessment and safe return.
Keep an emergency property file
Store title/unit information, DASK and additional insurance, building-management contacts, gas/electrical service contacts, meter references, recent photographs of important contents and a list of people authorised for emergency access. An encrypted digital copy is useful if the property cannot be entered. For an owner abroad, a trusted local person should have clearly defined emergency authority.
Review the plan every six months and after change
A new wardrobe, television, baby, tenant, room layout or blocked corridor changes the risk. Repeat a household “hazard hunt”, secure new items and refresh the kit, contacts and meeting arrangements. Preparedness is not a one-time purchase of an emergency bag; it is an ongoing maintenance and behaviour system designed to improve the household’s ability to manage the first minutes and hours after an earthquake.