What to do-and not to do-in an earthquake

Standing in a doorway or running outside are among the actions considered dangerous, according to the Earthquake Country Alliance.

Official rescue teams from the U.S. and other countries who have searched for trapped people in collapsed structures around the world agree that “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” is the appropriate action to reduce injury and death during earthquakes (see page 3).

Where you are located when the shaking starts can dictate what you should do.

What to Do

Here’s a summary of what experts advise. In all these instances, drop, cover and hold on applies:

• Indoors: Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects and kitchen cabinets. Do not go outside during shaking.

• Outdoors: If you are outside when the shaking starts, move to a clear area and avoid power lines, trees, signs, buildings and vehicles.

•In bed: Do not get out of bed. Stay face down to protect your vital organs, and cover your head and neck with a pillow.

• In a high-rise: Do not use elevators. Avoid windows and other hazards.

• Driving: Pull over to the side of the road, stop and set your parking brake. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking stops. If a power line falls on the car, stay inside until a trained person removes the wire.

What Not to Do

• Do not run outside or to other rooms during shaking. The area near the exterior walls of a building is the most dangerous place to be. Windows, facades and architectural details are often the first parts of the building to collapse.

• Remain inside if you are inside and outside if you are outside. Also, shaking can be so strong that you may not be able to move far without falling down, and objects may unexpectedly fall or be thrown at you. Injuries can be avoided if you drop to the ground before the earthquake drops you.

• Do not stand in a doorway. One enduring image from the aftermath of a California earthquake is that of a collapsed adobe home of which only a doorframe is left standing. From this came the belief that a doorway is the safest place to be during an earthquake. That is true only if you live in an old, unreinforced adobe house or some older wood-frame houses. In modern homes, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house. Doorways do not protect you from the most likely source of injury—falling or flying objects. You also may not be able to brace yourself in the door during strong shaking. You are safer under a table.

• Do not get in the “triangle of life.” In recent years, an email that describes an alternative to the long-established “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” advice has been circulating. The so-called “triangle of life” recommendations are potentially life threatening, and the credibility of the source of the advice has been broadly questioned. So the next time the earth shakes, get under a table or desk and hang on. If there’s no table, crouch down where you are and make yourself as small as possible, and stay there until the shaking stops.