Announcements

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Northern California region at 3:20 a.m. on 24 August 2014, with its epicenter located four miles northwest of American Canyon in Napa, California.  Said earthquake is reported to be the strongest to hit California in 25 years.

The Philippine Consulate is in close coordination with city and county officials, as well as Filipino Community leaders, to monitor the situation for possibly affected Filipinos and Filipino-Americans.  The Consulate has also activated a 24-hour emergency hotline:

• + 1 415 748 9888 – Assistance to Nationals officer mobile phone
• + 1 415 269 2090 – Duty officer mobile phone

The Consulate can also be reached via email at <ATN@philippinessanfrancisco.org>.

We encouraged everyone to practice extreme caution during an earthquake or its ensuing aftershocks in order to reduce the risk of injury or death.  The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued tips on what to do before, during and after an earthquake.

Before an Earthquake:

• Identify your risks
• Prepare a disaster kit
• Remove, relocate or secure objects that can fall and hurt someone, block an exit, start a fire, and require extensive or costly clean up

During an Earthquake:

• DROP to the ground
• Take COVER under a sturdy table or piece of furniture; if there is no table or desk, cover your head and face with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of your home/building
• HOLD ON until the shaking stops
• DO NOT RUN OUT OF THE BUILDING

After an Earthquake:

• Evacuate safely
• Request a professional engineer or local building official to inspect the structural integrity of your home/building for potential damages
• If you have a chimney, inspect it for unnoticed damage that could cause fires
• In order to avoid fire and hazardous leaks, check for gas, electrical, sewer and water line damages

Source: www.fema.gov

Everyone is also encouraged to refer to the website http://www.sf72.org/home for further information on emergency preparedness.