Preparation and mitigation measures for earthquakes and volcanoes differ from other natural hazards in a number of ways:
Earthquake:
Building codes and construction methods are designed to make buildings more resistant to shaking and collapse during an earthquake.
Retrofitting existing buildings to improve their seismic resistance.
The installation of early warning systems in high-risk areas to give people a few seconds to take cover before an earthquake strikes.
Developing emergency response plans for communities and organizations.
Conducting regular drills to familiarize people with what to do during an earthquake.
Identifying and regularly updating hazard maps of areas at risk from earthquakes
Volcanoes:
Monitoring of volcanic activity, including measuring changes in the level of a volcano's magma chamber, and tracking gas emissions.
Evacuation plans, and emergency shelters prepared for high-risk areas.
Providing forecasts of volcanic activity and ash fall, to inform decision-making.
Mapping and zoning of high-risk areas around volcanoes.
Regularly conducting drills for evacuation, for the public and for schools
Mapping lahars and pyroclastic flow hazard zones
Compared to other natural hazards, such as hurricanes or floods, earthquakes and volcanoes tend to affect smaller areas, but they can be highly destructive in those areas. They also tend to be less predictable and can strike with less warning. Preparing for these hazards requires a different set of techniques and plans.