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The floor starts shaking. Don't run for the door: drop, cover, hold on

The floor moves under you. The glasses in the cupboard rattle, a lamp swings, a shelf starts to lean. Your first instinct is to run for the door.

Don't. The Swiss Seismological Service (SED) says earthquakes cannot be predicted, but their effects can partly be reduced with simple means, and the first is what you do in these seconds: take cover, for example under a sturdy table, and protect your head.

Indoors: drop, cover, hold on

The international ShakeOut drill breaks that advice into three steps:

  1. Drop where you are, onto your hands and knees, so the shaking cannot knock you down.
  2. Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is close, crawl under it; if not, crawl next to an interior wall.
  3. Hold on until the shaking stops. Under a table, hold it with one hand. With no shelter, hold your head and neck with both arms.

Keep away from windows and glass walls that could break, and watch for things that can fall or topple: shelves, heavy furniture, televisions, music systems, light fittings. Leave the building only when it is safe around you, for instance when nothing more, such as roof tiles, is falling.

If you use a wheelchair, walker or cane

  • Wheelchair: lock the wheels and cover your head and neck with your arms.
  • Walker: get as low as possible, cover your head and neck with your arms, a book or a pillow, and hold on.
  • Cane: drop, cover and hold on, or sit in a chair or bed and cover your head and neck with both hands, keeping the cane nearby.

Outdoors: stay out

The SED advises staying outside rather than fleeing into a building.

  1. Keep away from buildings, bridges, power pylons, large trees and anything that could collapse or fall. USGS likewise says to move into an open area, away from buildings, power lines and chimneys.
  2. Near water, leave the shore area.
  3. In the mountains, watch for falling rock and landslides.

In a car: stop, and stay inside

  1. Stop, safely and away from traffic, and do not get out while the ground is shaking.
  2. If you can, do not stop on a bridge, in a tunnel or in an underpass, or next to buildings at the roadside: they may collapse.
  3. When you drive on, watch for broken road surface and debris, as USGS advises.

When the shaking stops

The SED's list, in the order you will need it:

  1. Expect aftershocks.
  2. Help others without putting yourself at risk.
  3. Check the building for damage. If it is seriously damaged, leave: it may be at risk of collapse and may not withstand another quake.
  4. Leave carefully. Masonry, roof beams and tiles can fall.
  5. Look for fires in and around the building. Put out small ones if you can, or alert the fire brigade.
  6. Check gas, water and electricity lines, and switch them off if you suspect damage.
  7. Get information from radio, television or the internet, and follow the emergency services.
  8. Use the phone only in an emergency, to keep the network free.
  9. Do not make private car journeys, so the roads stay clear for rescue crews.
  10. Be ready for power cuts.

Why the first seconds should be automatic

Earthquakes cannot be predicted, so there is no time to decide. Think through in advance what you will do, so your body knows before your head does. The SED also suggests preparing your home:

  • secure things that could fall and hurt someone: ceiling panels, shelves and their contents, televisions, music systems, lights;
  • know where the main gas, water and electricity valves and switches are, and how to use them;
  • keep emergency supplies, a first-aid kit and copies of important documents ready;
  • keep a torch, a battery radio and cash, because cash machines may not work in a power cut.

The Alertswiss hazard page gives the same core advice.

After you are safe: tell the SED what you felt

The SED records ground shaking continuously. Within about 90 seconds, the time, place and strength of a quake appear on its website, and it invites people to report what they felt through an online questionnaire.

The one rule

Drop, cover, hold on. Do not run outside.

This is general advice. Follow the instructions of local authorities and emergency services.

Sources

Source: https://armsma.org/en/insights/earthquake-what-to-do — © ARMSMA. Reproduced with permission of ARMSMA.

ARMSMA is not a professional educational institution. This material is provided for general awareness only and does not replace professional training, medical advice or official emergency instructions. ARMSMA accepts no liability for reliance on this content.

Source: https://armsma.org/en/insights/earthquake-what-to-do — © ARMSMA. Reproduced with permission of ARMSMA. — ARMSMA is not a professional educational institution. This material is provided for general awareness only and does not replace professional training, medical advice or official emergency instructions. ARMSMA accepts no liability for reliance on this content.