Be prepared instead of quaking in your boots.

• Position: Earthquakes

The 6.0 magnitude earthquake that stuck California last summer serves as a stark reminder for the 42 U.S. states at-risk for earthquakes to take action to prevent injuries, post-earthquake fires, and property damage before the ground shakes, cautions the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Jersey City, N.J., a nonprofit organization acting as a consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and man-made disasters. The Alliance offers step-by-step instructions to protect your home and family from earthquakes in the how-to video, "Look Up, Look Around, Look Down."

Look up. Support ceiling fans and light pendants with the use of bracing wire secured to a screw eye embedded at least one inch into the ceiling joist. Brace masonry chimneys back to the roof joists or reinforce roof sheathing to protect the home from falling masonry.

Look around. Anchor the tops of bookcases, file cabinets, and entertainment centers to one or more studs with flexible fasteners to prevent tipping. Secure loose shelving by screwing into the cabinet or with museum putty placed at each corner bracket. Secure china...