Whether you live in an area that has a lot of earthquakes or not, almost every place on the planet has the capacity of having a large earthquake hit it. And while disasters like this isn’t something that most people like to think about, the more you think about the possibility of something like this happening now, the better prepared you’ll be in the event that this becomes your reality.

To help you in getting ready for a natural disaster like this, here are three ways to prepare your home and family for a big earthquake.

Reinforce The Structure Of Your Home

If you have a family at home, they are likely the people that you’ll feel the greatest desire to protect if a major earthquake hits. Because of this, you should spend most of your time and money making sure your home is going to be as safe as possible if the world starts shaking.

To do this, Military.com shares that you should look at the structural elements of your home and see which parts might need some reinforcing or retrofitting. If the foundation of your home is ready for an earthquake to happen, your family will be much safer than they otherwise would be. So make sure that if your home isn’t sturdy enough to withstand an earthquake, you do the work to get it to this point.

Think Ahead To Potential Damage And Prepare Accordingly

When an earthquake happens, it’s going to be more than just your home standing up that you’ll need to be concerned about. According to the California Earthquake Authority, earthquakes can trigger things like landslides and tsunamis, which means that in addition to being ready for the shaking, you should also think ahead to what other damage might come your way.

Depending on where you live and what the surrounding area is like, you can get an idea of what potential damage you should prepare for and then prepare yourself and your home accordingly.

Create An Emergency Plan And Emergency Kits

As for preparing your family for a major earthquake, playing through some scenarios together and putting together emergency kits will help you be the most prepsted.

As part of this, SafeWise.com recommends that you keep emergency supplies on-hand at your home at all times. Things like extra food and water, hygiene supplies, tools, flashlights, a radio, and more will come in handy in uncertain times. And also, create a plan with your family on what you’ll do if something like this happens, how you’ll communicate with each other, and where you’ll meet if you get separated.

If you recognize the possibility that a big earthquake could happen in your area, use the tips mentioned above to help you prepare your family and your property for this.