How to Stay Safe During an Earthquake: A Visual Guide

When an earthquake strikes and the ground begins to shake, what you do next can make a big difference to your safety. This visual guide offers five practical steps, from making your home more earthquake-resistant and preparing an emergency survival kit, to protecting yourself while the ground is shaking and after it stops.

Is Your Home Earthquake-Ready?

Earthquake safety begins before the ground moves. Look around your home, workplace, or school and identify things that could fall, break, or become hazardous during strong shaking.

Secure tall furniture like bookshelves and cabinets to walls, and place heavy or fragile items on lower shelves. Fasten televisions and other large appliances that could tip over. Learn how to safely shut off gas, electricity, and water, and know where the main valves are. Stay away from windows, glass, and objects that could fall.

Prepare an Emergency Survival Kit

It’s always a good idea to have an emergency kit in an easily accessible place. After an earthquake, power, water, and communications may be disrupted. Having essentials on hand means you won’t have to search for them in the middle of a crisis.

Your emergency kit should include: drinking water, non-perishable food, a first-aid kit, a flashlight, spare batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a whistle, and essential medications. Also include a power bank, copies of important documents, some cash, and sturdy shoes to protect your feet from broken glass and debris.

When the Shaking Starts, What to Do?

If you are indoors when an earthquake begins, stay inside and protect yourself until the shaking stops. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises not to run outside while the building is shaking. Falling glass, debris, and other objects can make the area especially dangerous, so you are less likely to be injured if you stay put.

• Drop: Get down on your hands and knees.
• Cover: Crawl under a sturdy table or desk and protect your head and neck. If there’s no sturdy shelter nearby, move toward an interior wall, away from windows and other hazards.
• Hold On: Hold on to your shelter until the shaking stops, and be ready to move with it.

Safest Actions Depend on Your Surroundings

There is no single response that fits every situation. Your surroundings determine the hazards to avoid.

• Indoors: Stay inside and perform Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
• In a store or office: Stay indoors, away from shelves and glass, and protect your head.
• At school: Follow instructions from teachers and staff, and protect your head under a sturdy desk or table.
• In a car: Pull over to a safe spot, away from bridges, power lines, trees, and other hazards. Stay in the vehicle until the shaking stops.
• Outdoors: Move to an open area, away from buildings, power lines, trees, and anything that could fall.
• In an elevator: Stay inside the elevator until it stops. Once it stops, exit if it is safe to do so.

After the Shaking Stops

First, check yourself and others for injuries. Then, look around for hazards.

The end of the shaking does not mean the danger is over. Aftershocks can follow, and earthquakes can leave behind fires, gas leaks, damaged buildings, broken glass, and downed power lines.

If you suspect a gas leak due to damaged pipes or smell gas, leave the area. Do not turn the gas back on yourself. If the electrical system is damaged, avoid touching it and follow local instructions for shutting off power.

Be prepared for aftershocks. If shaking resumes, Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Use your phone carefully after an earthquake: avoid unnecessary calls to prevent network overload, use text or data services when possible, conserve battery by reducing screen brightness, close unneeded apps, and use a power bank if you have one.

After an earthquake, stay alert, follow official information, and help others when it is safe to do so. Proper preparation and a calm response can make a critical difference.