Earthquake preparedness

Before an earthquake

The best time to prepare is before anything happens. Look around your home or workplace and secure heavy items that could fall or move, such as bookcases, refrigerators, water heaters, televisions and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves.

Make a family emergency communications plan that includes an out-of-state contact, and agree where to meet if you are separated. Build a supply kit with enough food and water for several days, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher and a whistle, adding items such as medicines as you can. Practise how to protect yourself during shaking with family and coworkers, so the right action becomes automatic.

During shaking: Drop, Cover and Hold On

When the ground shakes, protect yourself immediately. Drop where you are onto your hands and knees, which stops you being knocked over and lets you move if you need to. Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If there is no shelter nearby, crawl next to an interior wall, away from windows. Hold On to your shelter, or keep covering your head and neck, until the shaking stops.

If you are inside, stay inside: do not run outside during shaking, and avoid doorways. Falling objects and flying debris are a major danger, so staying put and protecting your head and neck is the priority.

If you are in bed, in a car or outside

If you are in bed, turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow. If you are in a car, pull over and stop, and set the parking brake. If you are outside, stay outside and move to an open area away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines, then drop and cover your head and neck until the shaking stops.

If you use a walker or wheelchair, lock your wheels if applicable; with a walker, carefully get as low as possible. Bend over and cover your head and neck with your arms, a book or a pillow, then hold on until the shaking stops. If you use a cane, you can drop, cover and hold on, or sit on a chair or bed and cover your head and neck with both hands. Ready.gov has more guidance for different needs.

After the shaking stops

Expect aftershocks. Be ready to Drop, Cover and Hold On again each time the ground shakes. If you are in a damaged building, go outside and move away from it once it is safe to do so, and do not go back into damaged buildings. If you are trapped, send a text message or bang on a pipe or wall rather than shouting, and cover your mouth to protect yourself from dust.

If you live near the coast, a strong or long earthquake can be a natural warning of a tsunami. Move inland or to higher ground immediately after the shaking stops, without waiting for an official message. Check yourself and others for injuries, help others if you are trained to do so, and follow instructions from local officials and emergency services.

What this lesson is and is not

This lesson summarises widely published public guidance, mainly from Ready.gov. It is a starting point, not a complete emergency plan, and completing the quiz does not certify that you or your household are prepared. Local rules, building types and hazards vary, so check the guidance from your own local emergency management agency.