During an earthquake, focus on one core rule: Drop, Cover, Hold On to protect yourself from falling and flying objects.

Quick Scoop: What to do in an earthquake

1. If you are indoors

  • Drop to your hands and knees so the shaking doesnā€™t knock you over.
  • Cover your head and neck with your arms, and if possible get under a sturdy table or desk.
  • Hold on to the furniture you are under and stay there until the shaking stops.
  • Stay away from windows, glass, mirrors, outside walls, tall furniture, and anything that can fall.
  • Do not run outside during shaking; many injuries happen from falling debris from faƧades, glass, and signs.
  • Do not stand in a doorway unless you live in an old, unreinforced adobe-style house; in modern buildings a doorway is usually no stronger and leaves you exposed.

Imagine the room suddenly roaring with noise, shelves rattling, glass clinking. You drop beside the sofa, pull your arms over your head, and crawl under the table. You feel it shudder above you, but it holds.

2. If you are outdoors

  • Stay outside if you are already there.
  • Move to an open area away from buildings, trees, streetlights, bridges, and power lines.
  • Drop to the ground and protect your head and neck with your arms until the shaking stops.

3. If you are in a vehicle

  • Pull over to a clear, open location as soon as it is safe.
  • Avoid stopping under bridges, overpasses, power lines, signs, or near tall buildings and trees.
  • Stay inside the vehicle with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops.

4. If you use a wheelchair or walker

  • Lock the wheels (if you can) and stay seated.
  • Bend over as much as possible and cover your head and neck with your arms, a pillow, or a book.
  • Stay away from windows and heavy objects that might fall.

5. Right after the shaking stops

  • Check yourself and others for injuries and give basic first aid if you know how.
  • Be prepared for aftershocks and be ready to Drop, Cover, Hold On again.
  • If you are in a damaged building, carefully evacuate once it is safe, avoiding elevators and staying away from debris and broken glass.
  • Stay tuned to local authorities via radio, official apps, or trusted news for tsunami warnings, evacuations, and safety updates.

People often describe a strange quiet right after the main shaking, followed by waves of aftershocks and official alerts. Having a small ā€œgo-bagā€ ready (water, snacks, copies of documents, flashlight) can make that waiting time less frightening and more manageable.

6. A few key ā€œdonā€™tsā€

  • Donā€™t run outside during shaking if you are indoors.
  • Donā€™t use elevators.
  • Donā€™t shelter next to heavy bookcases, appliances, or glass walls.
  • Donā€™t rely on the ā€œtriangle of lifeā€ method; major seismology and disaster groups warn it is not recommended for most modern buildings.

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Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.