Earthquake preparedness levels of Erbaa/(Tokat) residents

Earthquakes are one of the most dangerous geological events on our planet. There are thousands of earthquakes every year and the magnitude of the earthquakes is still unpredictable as well as the timing. The fact that the earthquake is an unforeseeable disaster often provokes the idea that people cannot get prepared for this disaster, or that people can prepare for it in term of only architecture. The more preparedness for an earthquake, the less damaging it can be. This study examines the factors that affect the measures to be taken to mitigate the damages of future earthquakes. In this context, determination of the earthquake preparedness levels of individuals is important since it is considered that it will be useful in increasing the preparedness level against possible earthquakes. In this study, descriptive survey model was used in order to determine the earthquake preparedness variables involving the effects of demographic variables. The study sample consisted of 386 people living in Erbaa district center of Tokat province. A questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. This questionnaire involved demographic variables, items regarding the participants' perceptions of earthquake, and items regarding the participants' earthquake preparedness levels that are rated on a four-point Likert scale. The pilot administration was carried out in Tokat/Reşadiye district on individuals that were over 18 years old randomly. After the pilot, eight items from the questionnaire were removed. Ten experts were involved in the expert opinion process on the remaining 25 items using Lawshe technique. Then, two items were removed and the main administration was carried out with 23 items. The Cronbach alpha of the questionnaire was found 0,932. Independent samples t-test and Anova were conducted to determine whether participants' earthquake preparedness levels differed significantly in terms of demographics, any previous training about earthquake, and the notion that an earthquake would happen in the near future. Moreover, correlation and regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationships among the variables. The findings obtained showed that the arithmetic mean of the scores given by the participants for the whole questionnaire was 2.07 and this value was low in preparation for earthquake. It was observed that the participants were very low in some areas, low in some areas but close to normal and high in some areas in preparation for earthquake. The absence of an earthquake bag, planning how to behave before, during and after the fire, awareness of the danger in open areas at the time of the earthquake were determined as the areas where the participants' preparations for earthquake were at the lowest level. On the other hand, it was understood that the level of preparation was high in the security measures related to the placement of small household items in safe places and the maintenance of the boiler. The findings showed that participants' earthquake preparedness levels significantly differed in terms of age, marital status, education, income, previous earthquake training and earthquake perception while it did not differ in terms of gender. Moreover, it was found that participants had a perception of earthquake even if it was not high level and had a low level of training about earthquake. In conclusion, some recommendations were made in order to improve the earthquake preparedness levels of participants.