Check sewage lines before continuing to flush toilets. Check house inside and out for damage. Open closets, cupboards and storage sheds carefully. Check emergency supplies. Be prepared for aftershocks.
Few people are ready for their lives to turn suddenly upside down.
We think disasters happen to someone else. People often ignore warnings and refuse to take preventive measures. For example, only the passage of a new law convinced many people to wear seat belts when they drive. People often putter around the ruins of their homes, looking for trivial possessions while ignoring serious injury to themselves or others. A hot drink and a few quiet questions may be all it takes to pull someone out of this first stunned stage.