What to Do in an Earthquake: A Safety Checklist

Contents10

• Drop, cover, and hold on: what to do during an earthquake
• If you're indoors when an earthquake hits
• What to do outdoors, driving, or in a wheelchair during an earthquake
• What to do in an earthquake if you're in bed
• What to do at work, school, or in a crowd
• Earthquake safety for older adults, kids, and people with disabilities
• What not to do
• What to do right after the shaking stops
• How to practice at home before an earthquake happens
• Official sources on what to do in an earthquake

Shaking gives you seconds, not minutes. What to do in an earthquake comes down to one move, done fast, wherever you happen to be standing when the ground starts to roll.

Drop onto your hands and knees. Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. Crawl under a sturdy table if one is near, or next to an interior wall away from windows if not. Hold on until the shaking stops. This is the move Ready.gov teaches.

Drop, cover, and hold on: what to do during an earthquake

Drop: Get down onto your hands and knees right away. This keeps the quake from knocking you off your feet.

Cover: Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl under it. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall, away from windows.

Hold on: Hold on until the shaking stops. If you are under a table, hold on to it.

If you're indoors when an earthquake hits

• Drop, cover, and hold on next to an interior wall or under sturdy furniture.
• Stay away from windows and mirrors.
• Stay clear of anything tall enough to tip, like a bookcase or a file cabinet.
• In a kitchen, get away from the stove and any hanging pots.
• In a store, get low next to a solid interior wall, away from shelving and glass cases.
• In a high-rise, stay on your floor and skip the stairs until the shaking stops.

What to do outdoors, driving, or in a wheelchair during an earthquake

Outdoors: Move to an open area away from buildings and trees, and from streetlights and power lines. Then drop and cover until the shaking stops.

Driving: Pull over and stop. Set your parking brake, and stay in the car until the shaking stops.

Using a wheelchair or walker: Ready.gov says to lock your wheels if you can. With a walker, get as low as you safely can. Bend over and cover your head and neck with your arms, a book or a pillow, then hold on until the shaking stops.

What to do in an earthquake if you're in bed

Stay in bed. Ready.gov says to turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow.

• Turn face down.
• Cover your head and neck with a pillow.
• Hold that position until the shaking stops.
• Check for glass or debris before you stand up.

What to do at work, school, or in a crowd

• At a desk: drop under it and hold the legs.
• In a meeting room with no desk nearby: kneel against an interior wall and cover your neck.
• In a crowded store or theater: get low right where you are, and do not push toward an exit while the ground is moving.
• On a factory or warehouse floor: move away from shelving units and machinery, then drop and cover.
• In a classroom: follow the teacher's drop-cover-hold cue, which most US schools drill during the Great ShakeOut.

Earthquake safety for older adults, kids, and people with disabilities

• Older adults with limited mobility should identify the nearest sturdy furniture to wherever they spend the most time.
• Kids learn the drill fastest through repetition. Practice the drop-cover-hold-on move at home the same way schools do.
• People who are deaf or hard of hearing benefit from a phone alert set to vibrate strongly.
• People who are blind or have low vision should keep a clear, memorized path to the nearest sturdy cover, free of loose rugs or cords.

What not to do

Don't run outside during the shaking. Moving around during shaking raises your risk of being hit by falling objects or glass. Stay put and covered.

Don't use elevators. Power can cut out mid-shake, leaving you stuck between floors during aftershocks.

Skip the doorway. Ready.gov says to avoid doorways. Drop, cover and hold on instead.

Ignore "triangle of life" advice. It is not what Ready.gov teaches. Drop, cover and hold on is the official advice.

What to do right after the shaking stops

• Check for injuries. Look after yourself first, then help others nearby if you are able.
• Expect aftershocks. They can arrive minutes, hours, or days later, and some cause damage on their own.
• Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear hissing, shut off the main valve outside if you know how, then leave and call your utility company.
• Look for damage before going back in. A cracked foundation, a leaning wall, or a strong gas smell all mean stay out and call professionals.
• Text instead of calling. Texts often go through when voice networks are jammed after a big quake.

How to practice at home before an earthquake happens

The Great ShakeOut drill runs every October, and households can join for free. A home drill takes less than five minutes: call out "earthquake," have everyone drop, get under the nearest sturdy furniture, and hold on until you call the drill over. Do it once from the living room, once from a bedroom, and once from the kitchen, since the nearest sturdy spot changes by room.

Walk each room afterward and look at it through an earthquake's eyes. A tall bookshelf near a bed is worth anchoring to the wall. A heavy mirror over a headboard is worth moving. These are small fixes, and each one is a thing you no longer have to think about once the shaking actually starts.

If your household already has a family emergency plan, use the drill as a chance to check it too. Confirm the out-of-area contact number is still current, and that every adult still knows the two meeting places by heart. A plan that nobody has reviewed in a full year is worth almost as little as no plan at all, so treat this check as part of the same yearly habit.

Official sources on what to do in an earthquake

Ready.gov's earthquake page has the official steps for before and during a quake, and for the hours after. the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program shows recent quakes and the hazard level where you live.

Questions people also ask

What is the safest thing to do during an earthquake?

Drop onto your hands and knees and cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl under it. If not, crawl next to an interior wall, away from windows. Hold on until the shaking stops. This is the Ready.gov standard.

Should I stand in a doorway during an earthquake?

No. Ready.gov says to avoid doorways. Drop, cover and hold on under a sturdy table, or next to an interior wall away from windows.

Is it safe to run outside during an earthquake?

No. Most earthquake injuries happen to people who are moving when something falls on them, not to people who are covered and still. Stay put, drop, cover, and hold on unless you are already outside.

What should I do if an earthquake happens while I'm driving?

Pull over away from bridges and overpasses, then stay inside the car with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. The car's frame offers real protection from falling debris.

How long should I wait before going back inside after an earthquake?

Check for obvious damage first: a cracked wall, a leaning structure, a strong gas smell. If you notice any of those signs, stay out and wait for a professional inspection.

Do earthquake early warning apps actually help?

Yes, when they reach you in time. ShakeAlert-based apps can give a few seconds of notice before shaking arrives at your location, enough time to drop and get under cover if you act right away.