If you are indoors, when you feel strong earthquake shaking, drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly until the shaking stops.
The previous posts have concentrated on getting you ready for future earthquakes in the Bay Area, but what should you do when the shaking starts?
If you are indoors...
- “DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON.” If you are not near a desk or table, drop to the floor against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms.
- Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture, large appliances, and cabinets filled with heavy objects.
- Do not go outside until well after the shaking stops!
In bed
Hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. You are less likely to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass on the floor can cause injuries; be sure to put shoes on before stepping on the floor (see STEP 2)!
In a high rise building
DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON. Avoid windows and other hazards. Do not use elevators. Do not be surprised if sprinkler systems or fire alarms activate.
At work
DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON. Know your workplace’s earthquake safety plan and put it into action. When safe, move to a specified meeting location.
In a public building or theater
DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON if possible. If in a theater seat, duck down and protect your head and neck with your arms. Don’t try to leave until the shaking is over. Then walk out slowly, watching for fallen debris or anything that could fall on you in aftershocks.
If you are outdoors...
Move to a clear area if you can safely do so; avoid buildings, powerlines, trees, and other hazards. Always assume fallen powerlines are live!
Near tall buildings
Windows, facades, and architectural details are often the first parts of a building to collapse. Get away from this danger zone when shaking starts. Take refuge in a safe building or an open space.
Driving
When able, safely pull over to the side of the road, stop, and set the parking brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, powerlines, signs, trees, and other things that might collapse or fall on the vehicle. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a powerline falls on the vehicle, stay inside until a trained person removes the hazard.
In a stadium
Stay at your seat and protect your head and neck with your arms. Don’t try to leave until the shaking is over. Then exit slowly, avoiding debris and watching for anything that could fall in aftershocks.
Near the shore
Tsunamis from local earthquakes may flood low-lying coasts within minutes of the quake. Distant, large earthquakes can produce tsunamis that may arrive hours later at California’s beaches. If you feel a strong quake, hear a tsunami warning, or notice the water suddenly withdrawing from the beach, evacuate immediately to higher ground. Tsunami waves may continue to arrive for hours, so do not return to the shore until an “all clear message” has been issued. For more tsunami survival tips go to http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/.
Below a dam
Dams can fail during a major earthquake. Catastrophic failure is unlikely, but if you are downstream from a dam, you should know flood-zone information and have prepared an evacuation plan. For more information go to the Association of Bay Area Governments Web site at: http://quake.abag.ca.gov/floods/.
HEAD FOR THE DOORWAY?
In the early days of California, many homes were made of adobe bricks with wooden door frames. After a powerful earthquake, door frames were sometimes only parts of these houses still standing. From this came the myth that a doorway is the safest place to be during an earthquake. Today, few people in the Bay Area live in old, unreinforced adobe houses. In modern houses, doorways may be no stronger than any other part of the house and do little to protect you from falling debris. You are safer under a table, so “DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON.”
