This year’s devastating earthquake in Nepal understandably has raised concerns for people planning to travel to the region. The tragedy – and the possibility of another quake – is on the minds of those thinking of heading to Nepal for the fall trekking season.

Global Rescue Operations personnel regularly field a variety of questions from our members, including the recent inquiry below about upcoming travel to Nepal.  Our team responded with advice which may be of interest to other like-minded Global Rescue members.

Q. I’m planning to travel to Nepal and have a few questions about earthquake safety. There have been several articles about another large earthquake hitting western Nepal. I will be in Kathmandu soon and then planning a trek to the Annapurna Base Camp. The area has been cleared as “safe” for trekking, but I’m worried about another earthquake.

Do you have information or advice about earthquake safety and the situation in Nepal? I don’t want to cancel my plans, but I also want to stay safe.

A. Earthquakes cannot be predicted with certainty by modern day science. Four quakes above magnitude 6 have occurred in the region in the past century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The next quake is impossible to predict.

Global Rescue suggests the following for travel to Nepal:

–Take with you any equipment you may need to survive should you not be able to depend on local resources in the event of infrastructure collapse during a disaster (e.g., water purification, fire ignition devices, flashlights, etc.).

–If you are staying in hotels, try to stay in lower rise buildings and close to the bottom floor. Evaluate the outside of the building for structural damage that may have occurred from the last quake to determine the risk of collapse should there be another quake. The number one hazard in an earthquake is falling debris and collapsing buildings.

–You should shelter in-place under a piece of sturdy furniture in the event of an earthquake, according to current protective measures.

–Always have a go-bag packed with essential survival equipment in case you need to leave in a hurry.

–Be sure that you have a method of two-way communication (e.g., satellite phone, satellite hotspot such as Iridium GO, etc.) in the event of an emergency. These types of devices are also good in a large disaster as you will not be able to depend on the local communication infrastructure.

Wherever you travel, the Global Rescue Mobile App can help you stay safe, informed and connected. Free for Global Rescue members, the app provides critical medical, security and other essential travel intelligence. In an emergency, the app puts Global Rescue members in immediate contact with our medical and security teams. The Global Rescue Mobile App is now available on the App Store, Google Play, and BlackBerry App World.

Before you head off on your travels, consider a Global Rescue securitymembership, which includes security evacuation in the event of a crisis such as an earthquake. For more information, contact Global Rescue Member Services at memberservices@globalrescue.com  or 617-459-4200.