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At Home: Drop Cover Hold Under Sturdy Furniture

When shaking begins at home, the Drop, Cover, and Hold OnThe internationally recommended protective action during earthquake shaking. Drop to your hands and knees, take cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on until shaking stops. technique should activate automatically — not as a conscious decision but as a trained reflex. Drop to hands and knees to prevent being knocked down. Move to the nearest sturdy table or desk and take cover under it. If no table is within two steps, move to an interior wall away from windows and cover your head and neck with your arms. Hold on to a table leg if available and maintain position until all shaking has completely stopped.

Kitchen residents should abandon any cooking immediately — a stove fire from an unattended burner is one of the most common Secondary Earthquake HazardsHazards triggered by earthquake shaking rather than the shaking itself — including tsunamis, landslides, liquefaction, fires, dam failures, and chemical releases. Often cause more damage than shaking. after earthquakes. Do not attempt to move a pot of boiling water; drop away from it, cover, and hold. The kitchen is statistically the most hazardous room during shaking due to the combination of hard floors, glass containers, and falling cabinet contents. Once shaking stops, shut off the stove before assessing for gas leaks.

In open-plan living areas where there may be no furniture within reach, identify the interior walls of your home as fallback positions. Exterior walls are more vulnerable to collapse and carry the additional risk of glass from adjacent windows. Interior walls near load-bearing columns or stair towers tend to be the most structurally robust sections of a wood-frame building during moderate shaking.

In an Office or Classroom

Office workers should Drop, Cover, and Hold OnThe internationally recommended protective action during earthquake shaking. Drop to your hands and knees, take cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on until shaking stops. under their desks immediately, holding on to a desk leg with one hand and protecting their head and neck with the other arm. Turn away from computer monitors, which can topple or shatter. Move away from filing cabinets and bookshelves if they are within two steps — these are the most common sources of office injuries in earthquakes. Server rooms and data centers contain racks that can topple; anyone in these spaces should prioritize distance from rack rows.

Classrooms with student desks allow each occupant to duck under their own desk. Teachers should model the Drop, Cover, and Hold OnThe internationally recommended protective action during earthquake shaking. Drop to your hands and knees, take cover under sturdy furniture, and hold on until shaking stops. technique and avoid attempting to assist students while shaking is ongoing — the teacher's primary safety action is to take cover themselves, as an incapacitated teacher cannot assist students in the aftermath. Practice drills conducted at least twice per year make this response automatic for both teachers and students.

Conference rooms present a specific challenge because the central tables in most boardrooms are too heavy and anchored to shelter under, and overhead projectors and AV equipment can fall. Move to the nearest interior wall away from glass and hold on. Avoid the temptation to evacuate immediately; the greatest risk is during shaking, and stairwells and corridors become dangerous during movement.

In a Store or Public Building

In retail environments, move away from tall shelving units, which are subject to Secondary Earthquake HazardsHazards triggered by earthquake shaking rather than the shaking itself — including tsunamis, landslides, liquefaction, fires, dam failures, and chemical releases. Often cause more damage than shaking. from cascading merchandise. Drop and cover in the nearest aisle away from unstable shelving, protecting your head with your arms. Avoid glass storefronts and refrigerated display cases, which can shatter under frame distortion. After shaking stops, do not rush toward exits, as crowds in a panicked state create crush injuries independent of earthquake damage.

In a library, the primary hazard is falling books and toppling shelving. Move away from the stacks immediately if you have any warning from initial P-wave trembling, which often precedes major shaking by two to five seconds in areas served by Earthquake Early Warning (EEW)A system that detects an earthquake and sends alerts to people and systems before strong shaking arrives. Can provide seconds to tens of seconds of warning, enough to take protective action. systems. In the stacks, drop and cover against the base of a shelf unit rather than in the middle of an aisle where falling from both sides is possible.

In a movie theater, stadium, or auditorium, Shelter-in-PlaceThe practice of staying in your current location during or after an earthquake rather than evacuating. Appropriate when the building is structurally sound and there is no tsunami risk. in your seat and protect your head and neck with your arms. Do not rush toward exits during shaking. After shaking, follow staff direction and evacuate in an orderly manner through the nearest marked exit, watching for ceiling debris and structural damage above doorways.

In an Elevator: Stay Calm, Don't Panic

If caught in an elevator during an earthquake, press every floor button immediately to maximize the chance that the elevator stops at the nearest floor before any power failure or mechanical jam occurs. Brace yourself in the corner of the elevator car, hold the handrail if available, and protect your head and neck with your arms. Elevators in modern buildings are equipped with seismic sensors that automatically return to the nearest floor and open doors after a seismic event.

After shaking stops and if the elevator has not automatically opened, use the emergency telephone or intercom button to contact building management. Do not attempt to force open elevator doors or exit through the ceiling hatch independently — these actions carry significant injury risk. Wait for professional assistance unless smoke or fire creates an imminent threat. Elevator shafts are structural elements that tend to remain intact even when surrounding floors experience damage.

Near Windows and Glass

Windows and glass storefronts are major sources of Secondary Earthquake HazardsHazards triggered by earthquake shaking rather than the shaking itself — including tsunamis, landslides, liquefaction, fires, dam failures, and chemical releases. Often cause more damage than shaking. in the moments after shaking begins. Glass facades, suspended ceiling tiles, and light fixtures can shed debris across a wide radius even without direct impact from the earthquake. When shaking begins indoors, prioritize moving away from any glass surface — windows, glass partitions, glass shower enclosures — before dropping to cover.

Do not stand at a window to watch the earthquake. The instinct to look outside is common but dangerous; ground movement can cause glass to fracture suddenly, and exterior facades on neighboring buildings can shed debris toward your window. After shaking stops, treat all windows as potentially compromised until they can be inspected. Use alternate exit routes that avoid passing directly under or beside glass facades and suspended decorative elements.

When the Shaking Stops: Immediate Actions

The first thirty to sixty seconds after shaking stops are the period of highest risk for the second-most common earthquake injury scenario: moving through a damaged environment without adequate assessment. Check yourself for injuries before attempting to assist others — an incapacitated rescuer multiplies the casualty count. Call out to confirm that others nearby are conscious and responsive.

Look before you stand. Survey the floor around you for broken glass, fallen objects, and structural debris, then slowly rise using your hands for balance. Put on shoes if they are nearby and accessible before walking. Check the ceiling above your exit path for sagging drywall, exposed wiring, and cracked load-bearing elements. An AftershockA smaller earthquake that follows the mainshock in the same fault region. Aftershock sequences can last weeks to years, with the largest aftershock typically 1.0-1.2 magnitudes below the mainshock. may arrive within minutes; the decision to shelter in place versus evacuate should account for structural damage visible from your current position.

Sniff for natural gas — the odorant added to natural gas supplies (mercaptan) is detectable at very low concentrations. If you smell sulfur or rotten eggs, do not use any electrical switches, do not use your phone indoors, and exit immediately with the door left open. Gas leaks are among the leading causes of post-earthquake fires and are preventable by prompt, calm action consistent with Earthquake PreparednessThe ongoing process of planning and preparation to minimize earthquake impact, including securing furniture, creating communication plans, maintaining emergency supplies, and practicing drills. training.