Earthquake Preparedness: Before, During and After (AFAD)

By Nesim Razon, independent Android developer · 2026-11-10

Earthquakes cannot be predicted, but a few simple preparations make a real difference. This article summarizes the public guidance of AFAD, Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, in plain language. It is a general summary, not a replacement for official instructions: for the current and complete guidance, visit afad.gov.tr.

Before: know your risk and make a plan

AFAD recommends learning the earthquake hazard of the place where your building stands; it provides a hazard map service for this purpose at tdth.afad.gov.tr. It also recommends that every household make a family plan and practice it, so that everyone knows what to do without having to think.

Part of the plan is a meeting place for the family after an earthquake, and knowing your nearest emergency gathering area. AFAD says you can look up the gathering area closest to your address through e-Devlet.

Before: secure your home

Heavy furniture can fall and injure people. AFAD's guidance includes fixing wardrobes and other tall items that could topple to each other and to the wall, securing stoves and heaters to the wall or floor with solid materials, and hanging fixtures such as chandeliers and air conditioners away from walls and windows on hooks that can carry their weight. Keeping cupboard doors with heavy contents closed with mechanical latches, adding an elastic band or wire to shelf fronts and fixing toxic, explosive or flammable materials so they cannot fall are also on the list. Do not place a bed next to a window or next to heavy cabinets that could tip over. Keep exit routes clear and marked, and do not leave emergency exits locked.

Before: the disaster and emergency bag

AFAD recommends a Disaster and Emergency Bag for the first 72 hours after an earthquake, to hold your urgent needs and valuable documents until rescue teams reach you. The bag should be ready and within reach, and should cover the needs of people you are responsible for (babies, older people, people with disabilities) and of pets, if you have them. AFAD suggests keeping a bag not only at home but also at the workplace and at school, in the classroom. Check the food and drink inside regularly. AFAD's list includes:

• Food: high-calorie, long-lasting food that contains vitamins and carbohydrates and helps prevent water loss (such as canned food, dried fruit, tahini-molasses and fruit juice)
• Water: enough drinking water, thinking of every family member
• Photocopies of important documents: ID cards, title deeds, insurance and licence documents, the compulsory earthquake insurance policy (DASK), diplomas, passport, bank book; also documents such as a pet's health record
• Clothing: underwear, socks, a raincoat and clothes suited to the climate
• Hygiene items: soap and disinfectant, toothbrush and toothpaste, wet wipes, toilet paper, sanitary pads
• A first aid kit and a sleeping bag or blanket
• A pocket knife, a whistle and small scissors; paper and a pen
• A battery-powered radio, a flashlight and spare batteries (choose durable, long-life batteries)

During: Drop, Cover and Hold On

AFAD teaches the Drop-Cover-Hold On movement (Çök-Kapan-Tutun in Turkish). Get down on your knees (drop), protect your head and neck (cover), and hold on to something stable so you are not thrown around (hold on). A sturdy table or the side of strong furniture is preferred, away from windows and unfixed objects.

• Do not run to the stairs or the exits while the ground is shaking; stay inside until the shaking stops, then leave.
• Do not go out on the balcony and do not jump from a window or balcony.
• Do not use the elevator.
• If you are outdoors, move away from power lines, poles, trees and buildings and wall bases.
• Do not light a match or lighter and do not touch electrical switches; use the phone only to report an emergency or a fire.
• If you are in a car and the spot is safe, pull over to the right without blocking the road, leave the key in the ignition and wait inside with the windows closed; go to open areas once the shaking stops. If you are next to trees, power lines, poles or on a bridge, leave the car with the key in it and walk to an open area away from traffic.
• If you are in a tunnel and not close to the exit, stop the car and get out, lie on your side with your knees pulled to your chest and protect your head and neck with your hands. In a closed car park, also get out and lie down next to the car on your side, protecting your head and neck.
• If you are on a metro or train, do not get off unless you must (you could be electrocuted or hit by another train on the other line). Hold on firmly until the shaking stops and follow the staff's instructions.
• If you are in the open, move away from the seashore, do not stand under slopes where a landslide or falling rocks are possible, and watch out for chimneys, glass and plaster falling from buildings.

After: first steps

When the shaking stops, look around and check your own safety before leaving the building. AFAD's guidance then includes turning off the gas, water and electricity valves, taking your disaster bag, and going to the gathering area. If you smell gas, close the gas valve, open windows and doors and leave the building immediately.

Aftershocks are normal after a large earthquake, so do not enter damaged buildings until it is clearly safe to do so. Istanbul's AFAD directorate also asks people to avoid using cars in the first six hours so emergency vehicles can pass freely, and to prefer SMS or internet messaging over voice calls so the phone network is free for emergencies.

After: if someone is trapped

AFAD's guidance for people trapped under rubble is to stay calm and check your situation. If your movement is restricted, do not make moves that put your life at risk to get out; rescue teams will try to reach you as soon as possible. Keep your movements controlled so that you use your energy as economically as possible. If you can use your hands or feet, try to make your presence known by tapping on water, heating or gas pipes or on the floor. If you can use your voice, listen for the rescuers and call out to them, but use your energy in a controlled way. In an emergency, call 112.

A short checklist

• Check your area's earthquake hazard and your nearest gathering area.
• Agree on a family meeting place and practice Drop-Cover-Hold On.
• Fix heavy furniture and appliances to the wall or floor.
• Keep a disaster bag within reach at home, at work and at school, and check its contents regularly.
• During shaking: drop, cover, hold on; no elevator, no balcony.
• Afterwards: check around, close gas, water and electricity, take your bag, go to the gathering area.
• Use messaging instead of calls, leave the roads free, and call 112 for emergencies.
• Follow official information from AFAD, not social media rumors.

Practice with your family

A plan only works if everyone knows it. AFAD asks households to rehearse the family plan, including the Drop-Cover-Hold On movement. Children learn it quickly when it is treated like a short game: pick a sturdy table in each room, and try the movement together a couple of times a year. Also agree on how family members will find each other if you are apart, such as the meeting place you chose, and keep the phone numbers of relatives written on paper in the bag in case a phone battery runs out.

Information after an earthquake

After a strong earthquake, rumors spread quickly. Rely on the announcements of AFAD and the local authorities for the real situation, for example which areas are safe and where the gathering areas are. Keep your phone battery for important calls and messages, and keep the battery-powered radio from the bag handy, since mobile networks can be busy.

If you are not in the affected area, avoid calling people who may be there, so the lines stay free for those who need emergency help.

Where apps fit in

Earthquake list apps such as Son Depremler show data from AFAD and Kandilli Observatory after an earthquake has been recorded. They are useful to learn what happened and where, but they are not an early warning system and do not give safety instructions. For official information, always rely on AFAD.