AFAD, Türkiye’s disaster agency, reminds people that in the first 72 hours after a major earthquake you may have to meet your basic needs on your own until help arrives. For what goes into the kit, see our emergency kit checklist. This article is about the three days themselves.

The first hour: safety and meeting up

AFAD’s order is simple: first make sure you are safe, then check whether anyone around you needs help. If you smell gas, shut the valve, open doors and windows and leave the building at once. Then take your emergency kit and go to your neighbourhood assembly point.

Find your assembly area before an earthquake happens. On e-Devlet, Türkiye’s e-government portal, the assembly area search lets you pick a point on a map and see the areas by province, district and neighbourhood; you can also search our assembly areas page. Agree on a second meeting point with your family too: the first one may be out of reach.

On the way, remember AFAD’s advice: keep streets and roads clear for emergency vehicles.

Shelter: stay out of damaged buildings

Aftershocks always follow a large earthquake. AFAD stresses that aftershocks can damage weakened buildings and that damaged buildings should not be entered until the shaking has completely stopped. CDC likewise advises not to enter a damaged building until local authorities say it is safe.

Before returning home, read the after-earthquake section of our earthquake guide. If you cannot stay at home, follow announcements from AFAD and the governor’s office about official shelters and tent camps.

Keep warm carefully. CDC says portable generators, gasoline- or coal-burning equipment and camp stoves must never be used inside a home, basement or garage, and should be kept at least 20 feet (about 6 metres) from any window, door or vent. Use a flashlight, not candles. The flashlight tool helps too, but spare the battery.

Water: make sure it is safe

After an earthquake, tap water may be cut off or contaminated. Wait for the municipality’s notice. According to CDC, bottled, boiled or treated water is safe for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene.

  • Boiling: Bring clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute, let it cool and store it in clean containers.
  • Bleach: Add 2 drops per litre (0.1 mL) of unscented household bleach with 5–9% sodium hypochlorite and let it stand for at least 30 minutes before drinking.
  • Cloudy water: First filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel or coffee filter, or let it settle.

During a power cut, throw away perishable food that has not been kept properly cold, and any food with an unusual smell, colour or texture.

Communication: text, keep calls short

After a large earthquake everyone calls at once and the network jams. The FCC and FEMA advise:

  • For non-emergency messages, use text, e-mail or social media instead of voice calls; data-based services are less likely to be congested. CDC also says to save phone calls for emergencies, as text messages may be more reliable.
  • If you must call, keep it short and give only vital information.
  • If a call fails, wait 10 seconds before redialling.
  • Battery: Unless you need the phone, lower the screen brightness, close apps you are not using and switch to airplane mode.

The FCC and FEMA recommend that a family contact sheet include at least one out-of-town contact, who may be better able to reach family members. Everyone reports to that person. You can write this down in advance with the family emergency plan tool. In a real emergency in Türkiye, call 112.

Follow official information

AFAD advises following warnings on radio and television; when power and internet are down, a battery radio is the most dependable source. If you are on the coast and felt strong shaking, move to high ground without waiting for a warning; see tsunami risk on Türkiye’s coasts.

Drop, cover and hold on again in every aftershock.

Help, and ask for help

AFAD asks people to help those nearby who need urgent aid first, and then to join relief work. The elderly, babies, pregnant women and people with disabilities come first. As the Red Cross notes, feeling stress and anxiety in these days is normal; eat and sleep when you can, and let your loved ones know you are safe.