Earthquake response

Drop, Cover, and Hold On

FEMA, USGS, and the ShakeOut program endorse the same three-step response. Drop to the ground before the earthquake drops you. Cover your head and neck by getting under a sturdy desk or table. Hold on to the furniture and be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops.

If there is no table or desk nearby, drop to the ground against an interior wall, curl into a ball, and cover your head and neck with your arms. The priority is protecting your head from falling objects. Most earthquake injuries come from items falling off shelves, cabinets toppling, and ceiling fixtures dropping, not from building collapse.

The doorway myth. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the frame. The old advice came from unreinforced adobe buildings where the door frame was the only braced element. In a modern wood-frame or steel-frame structure, a doorway offers no special protection and leaves you exposed to swinging doors and falling objects.

Do not run. Attempting to run during shaking causes falls, collisions, and injuries from debris. The safest action is to move as little as possible to reach the nearest cover, which in most rooms is only a few steps away. Running outside is particularly dangerous because falling glass, bricks, and facade elements concentrate around building exteriors.

Smell, listen, then act

After the shaking stops, check for gas leaks before doing anything else. The indicators: the smell of rotten eggs (the odorant added to natural gas), a hissing or blowing sound near gas lines or appliances, or visible damage to a gas line or meter.

If you detect any of these, shut off the gas at the meter using the quarter-turn valve. Ready.gov includes a wrench or pliers in its emergency supply list specifically for this purpose. Store the wrench near the gas meter, not in a toolbox in the garage. When the shaking happens, you want the tool within arm's reach of the valve.

After shutting off the gas: open windows for ventilation, leave the building, and call the gas company from outside. Do not turn on or off any electrical switches, appliances, or lights. Do not use open flames, including matches, candles, or lighters. Even a light switch can produce a spark that ignites leaking gas.

Do not turn the gas back on yourself. Only the gas company or a licensed professional should restore service, because the lines must be inspected for damage and each appliance must be relit in the correct sequence.

Assume every line is live

Earthquakes, ice storms, and high winds all bring down power lines. FEMA and utility safety guidance converge on one rule: treat every downed power line as energized and lethal, even if it is not sparking, humming, or moving. A line can be re-energized without warning as utility crews work to restore power in other parts of the grid.

Stay at least 35 feet away. Do not touch the line, do not touch anything the line is touching (a fence, a car, a tree, a puddle), and do not drive over it. If a downed line is on your car, stay inside the vehicle and call 911. The car's tires insulate you. Exiting the vehicle while touching the ground and the car simultaneously can create a fatal path for the current.

Call your utility company or 911 to report any downed line. Do not assume someone else has already called. The faster the utility knows, the faster they can de-energize the circuit.