What should I do DURING an earthquake?
- If you are INDOORS--STAY THERE! Get under a desk or table and hang on to it (Drop, Cover, and Hold on!) or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. GET OUT of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). DON'T run downstairs or rush outside while the bldg is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris.
- If you are OUTSIDE--get into the OPEN, away from buildings, power lines, chimneys, and anything else that might fall on you.
- If you are DRIVING--stop, but carefully. Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. DO NOT stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs. STAY INSIDE your car until the shaking stops. When you RESUME driving, watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks, and bumps in the road at bridge approaches.
- If you are in a MOUNTAINOUS AREA--watch out for falling rock, landslides, trees, and other debris that could be loosened by quakes.
- If you are near the OCEAN--see these safety rules from NOAA's Tsunami Warning Center.
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Why should people in the eastern U.S. be concerned about earthquakes?
1) Severe earthquakes have occurred in the Eastern U.S.:
In November of 1755, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.0 and a maximum intensity of VIII occurred about 50 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston was heavily damaged. Other strong earthquakes recorded in the continental US were centered
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What are the Great ShakeOut earthquake drills?
ShakeOut GIF showing what to do in an earthquake if you are near a sturdy desk or table.(Public domain.)
What is the "Triangle of Life" and is it legitimate?
The "Triangle of Life" is a misguided idea about the best location a person should try to occupy during an earthquake. Based on observations of an earthquake in Turkey, the idea doesn't apply to buildings constructed within the United States.
Drop, cover, and hold under a table or desk is still the best
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What do I do AFTER an earthquake?
WEAR STURDY SHOES
- to avoid injury from broken glass and debris. Expect aftershocks
CHECK FOR INJURIES
- If a person is bleeding, put direct pressure on the wound, use clean gauze or cloth if available
- If a person is not breathing administer CPR
What can I expect in my house when an earthquake occurs? How do I identify it? What can be done?
The contents of your home may be damaged and can be dangerous:
- Shaking can make light fixtures fall, refrigerators and other large items move across the floor, and bookcases and television sets topple over. IDENTIFY: Look around your house for things that could fall or move.
- Ask yourself if your
What can I do to be prepared for an earthquake?
Estimate what EQ of what size are likely to occur (geology)
- Given the EQ size we then estimate what the shaking will be (seismology)
- Given the shaking estimate the response of different types of buildings (EQ engineering).
Only with all these steps can we act as a society to enact bldg.
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What emergency supplies do I need for an earthquake?
- Fire extinguisher
- Adequate supplies of medications that you or family members are taking
- Crescent and pipe wrenches to turn off gas and water supplies
- First-aid kit and handbook
- Flashlights with extra bulbs and batteries
- Portable radio with extra batteries
What should I NOT do during an earthquake?
- DO NOT turn on the gas again if you turned it off; let the gas company do it
- DO NOT use matches, lighters, camp stoves or barbecues, electrical equipment, appliances UNTIL you are sure there are no gas leaks. They may create a spark that could ignite leaking gas and cause an explosion and fire
- DO NOT
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