Essential Visual Guide: How to Protect Yourself and Survive Before, During, and After an Earthquake

When an earthquake happens and the ground starts moving, your immediate actions can significantly impact your safety. This visual guide outlines five practical steps, ranging from earthquake-proofing your home and assembling an emergency survival kit to shielding yourself during the tremors and responding safely afterward.

Is your home earthquake-safe?
Earthquake safety begins long before the ground moves. Assess your home, workplace, or school to identify potential hazards like items that could fall, break, or turn dangerous during severe shaking. Anchor tall furniture—such as bookcases and cabinets—to walls, and position heavy or fragile items on lower shelves. Secure televisions and other large objects, and ensure you know how and where to safely shut off gas, electricity, and water supplies. Always stay away from windows, glass, and other falling hazards.

Prepare an emergency survival kit
Keeping an emergency kit in an accessible location is essential. Because power, water, and communications may fail following an earthquake, having vital supplies ready eliminates the need to search for them during a crisis. Your kit should contain:

• Drinking water and non-perishable food
• A first-aid kit
• A flashlight with extra batteries
• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• A whistle and essential medicines
• A power bank, copies of important documents, and cash
• Sturdy shoes to shield your feet from broken glass and debris

What to do when the shaking starts
If you are indoors when the earthquake begins, remain inside and protect yourself until the shaking stops. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against running outside while a building is actively shaking, as falling glass and debris make the exterior particularly hazardous.

• Drop: Get down onto your hands and knees.
• Cover: Take shelter under a sturdy table or desk, protecting your head and neck. If no reliable shelter is nearby, crouch next to an interior wall while staying clear of windows and other risks.
• Hold on: Grip your shelter tightly until the shaking ceases, moving with it if necessary.

The safest action depends on your surroundings
Because no single response fits every situation, your environment dictates which hazards to avoid:

• Indoors: Stay inside and Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
• In a store or office: Remain inside, steer clear of shelves and glass, and protect your head.
• At school: Follow staff instructions and shield your head beneath a sturdy desk or table.
• In a car: Pull over safely away from bridges, power lines, and trees, remaining inside the vehicle until the shaking stops.
• Outdoors: Move to an open space away from buildings, power lines, trees, and falling hazards.
• In a lift: Stay inside until it stops, then exit only if it is safe.

After the shaking stops
Begin by checking yourself and others for injuries, then scan your environment for hazards. The end of shaking does not mean the danger has passed; aftershocks can strike, and earthquakes frequently leave behind fires, gas leaks, structural damage, broken glass, and downed power lines. If you smell gas or spot a damaged pipe, evacuate immediately and never attempt to reignite the gas yourself. Avoid damaged electrical wiring and heed local utility guidelines.

Prepare for aftershocks by being ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if tremors resume. Use your phone judiciously to avoid overloading networks—rely on text messages or data services when possible, preserve battery life by lowering screen brightness, close unnecessary apps, and use a power bank. Stay alert, monitor official updates, and assist others when safe. Proper preparation and a calm reaction can save lives.