72-Hour Earthquake Prep Checklist for Your Home

Before the Go-Bag: A 72-Hour Earthquake Prep Checklist for Home

Earthquake readiness takes more than a go-bag: a 72-hour home plan covering contacts, anchored furniture, meds, documents, and pets.

Earthquake readiness is not finished once you buy a go-bag. A plan that actually works covers how your family will reach each other if you are separated, where you will meet, and what in your home could tip over or fall. Many people stop at a shopping list, but once the shaking passes, what you need is judgment and agreements made in advance.

This list is split into ten steps: contact plans, evacuation sites, furniture anchoring, gas and power shutoffs, water and food, medication, information tools, documents, pets, and a real practice run. The higher an entry sits, the cheaper it is and the more it helps to settle early.

How to read it

If you are new to this, finish entries 1 to 4 in a single day.
If someone takes medication or you have a pet, look at entries 6 and 9 first.
Shelters and rules vary by place and time, so confirm current details through official disaster channels.

Agree on a contact plan and meeting points

When your family is scattered and phones are unreliable, you need an agreement, not gear. Pick one out-of-area contact plus regroup spots near home and beyond the neighborhood, and write them down. Kids and elders should say them aloud. Recheck after any move.

Know your designated outdoor evacuation site

Knowing your designated outdoor evacuation site before a quake saves decision time you will not have later. Save the nearest site and two walking routes through your national disaster safety portal or app. Closures change access, so recheck now and then, and never search for it first mid-emergency.

Anchor tall furniture and anything that can tip

Much quake injury comes from toppling furniture and falling objects, not the shaking itself. Anchor bookshelves, wardrobes, and TVs to the wall and move heavy items to low shelves. Match hardware to your wall material; double-sided tape alone is not secure for large pieces.

Learn where your gas and electric shutoffs are

After the shaking stops, finding the gas valve and breaker fast helps prevent fire and other secondary accidents. Adults should learn both locations and operation. If you smell gas or see sparks or flooding, touch nothing, call 119, and follow official guidance.

Rotate stored water and food instead of stockpiling and forgetting

Emergency food bought once and forgotten often expires. Stock water and shelf-stable food sized to your household and local guidance, eat the items closest to their dates in daily life, and replace them. Assume a blackout and include no-heat foods. 72 hours is a guide, not a fixed rule.

Keep medication and prescription info separate

Anyone on regular medication needs a list kept apart from the general go-bag. Put drug names and doses, prescription copies, allergy details, and clinic contacts in a waterproof pouch. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about storage and extra supply. Never substitute someone else's or expired medicine.

Check flashlights, a radio, and backup power

When a blackout and a communications failure overlap, one phone will not keep you informed. Test your flashlight, battery-powered radio, and power bank regularly, and confirm they are charged. Note spare battery sizes and dates on the outside, so you do not rely on your phone alone.

Keep ID, insurance, and contact documents waterproof

ID, insurance, and contract records scattered around the house slow reissuing after a disaster. Keep an encrypted digital copy and a waterproof paper copy, and tell family where originals are. Never share files showing ID numbers or passwords in plain text.

Put together a go-bag for your pet

Pets are sometimes not allowed in general shelters, so they need their own prep. Gather a carrier, leash, food, water, medication, waste supplies, a photo, and registration details. Check which shelters accept animals and line up a temporary caregiver. Never release a pet to fend for itself.

Walk your actual evacuation route wearing the bag

A plan is not finished until you have walked it. Put on shoes, carry the go-bag at its real weight, and walk the stairs and route you would take. Refresh contents when seasons or household members change, and skip gear nobody can use.

How to choose

If you are just starting, begin with entry 1, the contact plan, and entry 2, the evacuation site. They cost nothing, take about half an hour, and underpin everything else. If safety inside your home worries you, put entry 3 (anchoring furniture) and entry 4 (shutoff locations) first. If someone takes medication, move up entry 6, and if you have a pet, entry 9.

Once the supplies are in place, keep them fresh with the rotation in entry 5 and the equipment checks in entry 7, then test the whole plan with the route walk in entry 10. Do not try to finish everything at once; two or three steps a month lasts longer. This information reflects our research as of October 2026 and may change, so confirm with official channels before acting.

Frequently asked questions

Why is 72 hours the benchmark for earthquake prep?

It serves as a practical planning figure for the chance that outside help does not arrive right away. It is not an exact number that fits every home, so adjust water and food to your household size, health needs, and local guidance.

What if my family can't reach each other by phone?

Agree ahead of time on one out-of-area contact where everyone leaves news. Pair that with a regroup spot near home and another outside the neighborhood so your family can find each other even when calls will not go through.

Can I bring my pet to an evacuation shelter?

It depends on the shelter, so check with your local government or the relevant authority in advance. It also helps to line up a temporary caregiver in case the shelter you reach does not accept animals.

Where do I find my designated outdoor evacuation site?

In Korea, the national disaster safety portal and the Safety Didimdol app list designated sites near home, work, and school. Save the closest site and at least two routes, and recheck now and then because local guidance can change.

How often should I check my go-bag?

There is no fixed schedule. Check it when seasons change, when your household changes, and when food nears its expiration date. Turn on the flashlight and radio, and confirm medication and documents are current.

What should I do if I smell gas after an earthquake?

Do not try to fix it by touching valves or electrical devices yourself. Move to a safe place, call 119, and follow official guidance. Knowing the shutoff locations beforehand makes it easier to judge the situation once shaking stops.

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How to read it

Agree on a contact plan and meeting pointsUpvote

Know your designated outdoor evacuation siteUpvote

Anchor tall furniture and anything that can tipUpvote

Learn where your gas and electric shutoffs areUpvote

Rotate stored water and food instead of stockpiling and forgettingUpvote

Keep medication and prescription info separateUpvote

Check flashlights, a radio, and backup powerUpvote

Keep ID, insurance, and contact documents waterproofUpvote

Put together a go-bag for your petUpvote

Walk your actual evacuation route wearing the bagUpvote