Earthquakes, unlike other natural disasters, strike suddenly and don't provide advanced warning time to prepare for their arrival. Knowing what to do if a quake happens can greatly reduce your risk of injury or death.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), more than 165 million people in 37 states live in zones with earthquake risks. Tremors of varying intensity have been recorded across most of the United States and in many areas around the world, so being ready to react when one occurs can come in handy at home or even on vacation.

As National Preparedness Month continues, here are five tips for staying safe when the ground starts to shake, rattle, and roll.

Be Prepared: Get familiar with evacuation plans for any building in which you spend time regularly. Learn how to shut off gas valves in your home, and keep an emergency supply kit in an easy-to-access location. The American Red Cross has a detailed earthquake safety checklist available for download.

Secure Your Stuff: According to a UCLA study, 55% of the injuries during the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California were caused by falling furniture or objects -- only 1% were caused by building damage. If something is big enough to hurt if it falls on you, it needs to be secured. Visit the Secure Your Stuff page at daretoprepare.org for specific directions for how to secure many common household objects.

Drop, Cover, and Hold On!: This three-step instruction is the directive for how to react if you're inside a building when the earth starts rumbling. Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck (and your entire body, if possible) under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to something sturdy (like the table leg) until the shaking stops.

Drill, Baby, Drill: Disaster drills like the Great Shake Out give you a chance to rehearse an earthquake drill with others in your community. Thus far, more than 9.8 million people have decided to participate in an emergency drill at 10:18 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18. These drills take place across the nation and you can find one in your region by clicking the link above.

When the Shaking Ends: Check yourself for injuries and be prepared for aftershocks, landslides, or even a tsunami. Be alert for items that may have shifted in cabinets or closets. Evacuate damaged buildings and be alert for downed or broken gas and power lines.

We've only scratched the surface on earthquake preparation, but you can find more resources at the links below.

• Ready.gov's Earthquake page
• USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
• Great Shake Out Earthquake Drills
• Daretoprepare.org Southern California Quake Preparation (In Spanish at terremotos.org)
• Drop, Cover and Hold On!
• American Red Cross Earthquake page
• CNCS Community Preparedness Toolkit

The September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance is less than one month away! Many communities and organizations around the nation are in the final stages of coordinating remembrance ceremonies and service activities to observe and reflect on the day.
 

Paul Reickhoff, president and CEO of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, has an idea about a great, untapped American resource. He believes national service models based on AmeriCorps to harness and leverage the skills of military veterans and can “help people think about us as the cavalry, not as a problem."
 

Jorge Muñoz's 2004 encounter with homeless day laborers sounds like the pivotal moment in the latest feel-good movie. But the “Angel in Queens” wouldn't be providing up to 140 meals nightly if the need in their words didn't resonate with him: “If we have a job, we will get money to eat tonight; if not, we don't eat anything.”
 

To mark the one-year anniversary of the May 22 Joplin tornado, we'll be featuring a variety of content on the serve.gov blog, including Q&As with those who served in the community, like this one.
 

To mark the one-year anniversary of the May 22 Joplin tornado, we'll be featuring a variety of content on the serve.gov blog, including Q&As with those who served in the community, like this one.
 

There are people working every day at all levels – and across all sectors – to improve our communities and find lasting and sustainable solutions to expand opportunity for young people. We spoke with Judith Rodin, a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions, who has shown a commitment throughout her professional career for community solutions that support and cultivate the next generation.
 

There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That's right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for arealemergency.
 

Three years ago Chris Oliver was unemployed and facing homelessness after being evicted from his Dallas apartment. He turned to City Square, a local nonprofit that provides vital services to neighbors struggling with poverty. City Square didn't just help Chris put food on the table – it gave him a second chance on life. He joined City Square's AmeriCorps program, where he served for two years. Now Chris has a full-time position working in the organization's homeless outreach program.