Did you feel the earthquake? Learn how to prepare and protect your assets

How to prepare for an earthquake?  

Know the security procedures.

The first step to stay safe during an earthquake is to be aware of the safety procedures to follow. Firstly, you should know that, indoors, the safest places to go are the corners of load-bearing walls, near furniture and larger, sturdy objects.

When feeling the earth shake, seek shelter indoors in these safe places, crouching down and waiting for the shaking to stop.

Afterwards, as soon as possible, you should turn off the electricity, water, and gas. In addition, you should grab the emergency kit (we will talk about what should be included next), and a fire extinguisher.

After the earthquake, and being safe, you should head out to the street. 

In case the earthquake occurs while you are outside, try to stay away from buildings, at a distance of two times the height of a building, and head to an open and safe place, away from the sea or river, such as a park.

Note that you should not restart a circuit breaker to restore electricity in the following moments, do not use elevators, lighters, or the telephone excessively.

Organize an emergency kit

Emergency kit must include the following: 

• Copy of identification documents;  

• Flashlight and batteries;

• Whistle;

• Battery-powered radio;

• Water and non-perishable foods (such as cereals and canned goods);  

• Some money in bills and coins;

• First aid kit (with compresses, betadine, essential medications, band-aids, etc).

Ensure yourself with a multi-risk insurance that covers earthquakes.

And in the event of an earthquake that damages the property? To prevent this situation, it is essential to have contracted a multi-risk insurance with seismic phenomena coverage.  

The most common coverages of this multi-risk home insurance include fire, explosion, lightning strikes, water damage, theft or robbery, natural disasters, and landslides, but living in a country with a high seismic risk, it is vital to extend protection to the risk of earthquakes.

When hiring a housing loan, coverage for seismic phenomena is mandatory in the all-risk insurance you hire associated with the financing. However, if you bought your property without a bank loan, located wherever it is, it is extremely advisable to opt for this coverage, as damage from an earthquake can have a strong economic impact.  

It is a way to safeguard yourself, protecting your assets and knowing that in case of disaster, you can prioritize your safety and that of your loved ones without worrying about material goods.

Want to hire a multi-risk insurance or expand your coverage to include it? Get in touch with an insurance mediator from Poupança no Minuto, for a process that takes care of everything for you at no cost, and save yourself from this worry today!