What To Do If An Earthquake Hit

STAYING SAFE DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

If you are indoors...
Take cover under a table, desk or another piece of sturdy furniture. If such furniture is not available, drop to your knees and cover your head with your arms.
Select a spot that is not near windows... exterior walls... a masonry chimney... heavy upright furniture, such as a bookshelf or china cabinet... or below anything heavy or made of glass that’s hung from a wall or ceiling.
Stand in an interior doorway during a quake only if you are in an older brick or adobe building. Doorways often are the strongest part of older brick and adobe structures. Doorways offer no safety benefits in most other buildings.
Do not attempt to exit a building during a quake. The risk of being struck and badly injured by falling window glass or other debris while exiting exceeds the risk that you will be injured if you take cover inside.
What to do if an earthquake strikes while you are...
In bed. Remain in the bed and protect yourself as best you can with your covers, pillows and arms.
Outside. Move to an open area away from power lines and buildings. Stay away from chimneys.
In an office building. Get under the nearest desk. Steer clear of file cabinets, which can topple... and plate-glass windows, which can shatter.
In your car. Pull over to the side of the road, park and engage the parking brake. Ideally, avoid parking on or under overpasses, near heavy highway signs or light posts, or in areas where the road has been cut into a hillside -- quakes often cause falling rocks.
Warning: If a power line falls on or near your vehicle during an earthquake, remain inside the vehicle until emergency crews arrive to help, even if this takes hours. If the wires are live, the current typically travels along the outer shell of your vehicle, leaving you safe inside -- but you could be electrocuted if you attempt to get out.

WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER A QUAKE

Aftershocks tend to be most frequent in the hours and days immediately following an earthquake but can continue for weeks after the quake.
If you smell smoke, see fire or the building you are in is damaged structurally, account for everyone who was in the building, then exit quickly.
If there is no fire and the building seems sound, conduct a quick building inspection...
If you smell gas or see damage to a gas line, shut off the gas.
If there’s any reason to believe that the home’s wiring has been damaged, switch off the electricity.
Never linger near the exterior of a building following an earthquake -- an aftershock could cause falling debris.
Check on your neighbors. Emergency crews often are overwhelmed following major earthquakes. It’s up to neighbors to help one another.
Do not shout for help (unless you hear voices nearby) if you are badly injured, trapped under furniture or trapped in a collapsed building. Instead, bang a piece of debris against something metal if these things are within reach. This banging sound will carry farther, and unlike shouting, it will not quickly deplete your energy or fill your lungs with the thick dust that clouds the air after a building collapse.

TSUNAMI WARNING

If you live at a low elevation and within a few miles of the coast, a tsunami warning might follow an offshore earthquake. Listen to emergency radio broadcasts for guidance. Follow marked emergency evacuation routes inland or seek higher ground if so advised. The regions at greatest risk for a tsunami in the US include the coasts of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.

PREPARING FOR EARTHQUAKES

There are simple, inexpensive steps that anyone living in an earthquake region should consider...
Relocate heavy or glass items currently hung above beds and frequently used seats. These include mirrors and artwork framed under glass. Secure heavy furniture to a wall.
Reposition your bed if it currently is located very near a masonry chimney. The chimney might be hidden behind wallboards on upper floors.
Have rigid gas lines replaced with flexible lines, and have your gas water heater strapped to the wall.
Purchase and plug in emergency lights that turn on automatically when the power goes out.
Get to know your neighbors, particularly if you are elderly or disabled and could have trouble getting out of your home after an earthquake.
Put together an emergency kit including bottled water... flashlights... extra batteries... a battery- or crank-powered radio... canned food... several days’ supply of medications... and a fire extinguisher.
Select a meeting point for your family to gather if you are separated.


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