MINERAL—When Louisa County Farm Bureau secretary Susan Warren felt an earthquake hit last Aug. 23, she wasn’t sure what to do. So she rode the trembler out at her desk before checking to see if everyone was OK.

“We are close to a railroad track, and we thought the train had run off the track. … And then the agents in the office said, ‘No, I think we’ve had an earthquake,’” Warren said. “Everything went dead; our phone lines went dead. So we stayed calm, and I made sure my mother and my husband were safe. I went by and checked on my mother; she thought an airplane had gone through the front of her house.”

Employees at the four-story Virginia Farm Bureau home office in nearby Goochland County also had no initial idea of how to react, although they were evacuated for more than an hour after the first shock while maintenance staff checked the building for damage. No one was hurt, but Farm Bureau safety experts decided a more comprehensive plan was needed.

“We put together an earthquake procedure so that everyone would be on the same page should we experience another one,” said Safety Manager Jimmy Maass. “We did some research into the subject and put together recommendations for all our employees and members.”

Some of the tips include: Minimize your movements to a few steps to a nearby safe place and, if you are indoors, stay there until the shaking has stopped and you are sure exiting is safe. Take cover under a sturdy table or desk, and move away from any windows or objects that could fall, like an overhead light fixture or tall furniture. Do not use elevators.

If you’re outside when an earthquake hits, stay there. Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires. Once you’re in the open, stay there until the shaking stops.

Contact Maass at 804-290-1379 or Norm Hyde, VFBF communications, at 804-290-1146.