Surviving An Earthquake
What is the "Drop, Cover, and Hold" method?
During an earthquake, drop, cover and hold, anywhere you are, is the best thing to do. Drop to the ground before the earthquake drops you, as you won't be able to walk around much during the strong shaking. Take cover if possible underneath a desk or table or other strong sturdy. Cover your head with your hands and arms and hold onto what you're underneath as it might start to move, and you want to make sure you're moving with it. That is the drop, cover and hold method you ought to use during an earthquake.
What are the safest places inside during an earthquake?
If you're inside during an earthquake, some of the safest places you can be are underneath sturdy tables or desks that are going to protect you from things that might be falling during an earthquake. You also want to be away from windows or framed art that has glass that may be shattering during the earthquake. It's best to be towards the interior of a room and, again, underneath something. If not, just drop, cover and hold on and ride out the earthquake.
Will standing under a door frame adequately protect me during an earthquake?
We no longer recommend that people get in a doorframe during an earthquake. It really doesn't provide that much protection from falling objects such as ceiling tiles or lights. Also, it's quite likely you'll not be able to stand during the earthquake to begin with. There have been cases where people put their hands on the doorframes, the door's closing and they've got their fingers pinched. People are coming into the door, closing the door - it kind of cause problems. Basically, you want to drop, cover and hold on. Get under something else if possible. If not, just sit next to an interior wall through the earthquake.
What is the "triangle of life" earthquake shelter?
The triangle of life is a concept based upon the notion of the survivable void space. It's where firefighters are trained to look for people who survived an earthquake. The problem is, it's very difficult to predict in advance how a building is going to collapse and where those spaces are going to be. That's why we focus more on protecting yourself from things falling within your home during an earthquake, which are much more likely to injure you and much more common. That's what the drop, cover and hold on position is designed to protect you from.
Is it safer to be indoors or outdoors during an earthquake?
During an earthquake, if you're indoors, stay indoors. Don't try to go outside where things may be falling off your building. If you're outdoors, as long as you're not underneath power lines or other things that might be falling, you're pretty safe. Just get down low and ride out the earthquake.
