If you cannot drop to the ground, try to sit or remain seated so you are not knocked down. –
If you are in a wheelchair, lock your wheels. Remove any items that are not securely attached to the wheelchair. Protect your head and neck with a large book, a pillow, or your arms. The goal is to prevent injuries from falling down or from objects that might fall or be thrown at you. If you are able, seek shelter under a sturdy table or desk. Stay away from outer walls, windows, fireplaces, and hanging objects. If you are unable to move from a bed or chair, protect yourself from falling objects by covering up with blankets and pillows. If you are outside, go to an open area away from trees, telephone poles, and buildings, and stay there. For more resources for people with impaired mobility and other access and functional needs, visit the Earthquake Country Alliance external icon,
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What are the safety measures during an earthquake?
What to do during an earthquake – The steps you should take during an earthquake depend on your location. If You Are Inside
Stay inside. Do not get in a doorway — this does not provide protection from falling or flying objects, and you might not be able to remain standing. Drop, Cover, and Hold On
Drop down to the ground so the earthquake doesn’t knock you down. Cover your head and neck with your arms to protect you from falling debris. If possible, crawl under a sturdy desk, table or other piece of furniture for additional protection. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and other items that could fall. Hold on to any sturdy item you can until the shaking stops.
If You Are Outside
Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.
If You Are in a Vehicle
Pull to the side of the road and stay inside until the earthquake is over. Do not stop under overpasses or power lines.
What are the safety measure?
Definition. An action, procedure or contrivance designed to lower the occurrence or risk of injury, loss and danger to persons, property or the environment.
What are three effects of earthquakes?
Earthquakes can result in the ground shaking, soil liquefaction, landslides, fissures, avalanches, fires and tsunamis.
What are the 5 earthquake hazards determined?
Earthquakes pose several hazards to our natural and built environment. Different parts of Cascadia will experience different hazards. For example, during the 2001 Nisqually earthquake that shook the Puget Sound region, buildings crumbled, bridge supports cracked, and more than 400 people were injured.
- In coastal areas, a powerful offshore quake could trigger a tsunami, a series of massive waves that would flood the shoreline within minutes; damage or destroy roads, bridges and utility lines; and likely cause many injuries and deaths.
- Tools are available to help you determine the hazards you may encounter.
These include hazard maps at national, state and (in some cases) local scales that show the potential for ground shaking from future earthquakes. Learn more about earthquake hazards in your area. Because Cascadia has a rich history of seismic activity, all residents and businesses should be familiar with and prepared for the primary hazards associated with earthquakes.
- These include ground shaking, landslides, liquefaction, and in some areas, tsunamis.
- These primary hazards often produce secondary hazards such as ruptured utility lines, hazardous spills, and fires.
- Buildings can crumble or collapse, trapping people inside and burying streets in rubble.
- Failed bridges can disrupt or cut off entire communities.
Ground shaking: Ground shaking is both a hazard created by earthquakes and the trigger for other hazards such as liquefaction and landslides. Ground shaking describes the vibration of the ground during an earthquake. Most earthquake damage results from the shaking caused by seismic waves passing beneath buildings, roads, and other structures.
For example, ground shaking may cause a store’s exterior building walls to crumble, injuring people, blocking sidewalks and streets and bringing down utility lines. Landslides: Earthquakes can trigger landslides, especially in areas with water-saturated soils, a common characteristic of Cascadia. Landslides may result in falling rocks and debris that collide with people, buildings and vehicles.
They also can block roads and disrupt utility lines. Liquefaction: Liquefaction describes the way in which soil liquefies during ground shaking. Liquefaction can undermine the foundations and supports of buildings, bridges, pipelines, and roads, causing them to sink into the ground, collapse or dissolve.
- Learn more about liquifacation.
- Tsunami: Inland earthquakes, such as the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, will not result in tsunamis because they do not uplift the seafloor.
- However, an offshore subduction zone earthquake or an earthquake generated somewhere else around the Pacific Ocean will generate a tsunami, which is actually a series of waves.
In some cases, waves may be up to 33 feet (10 meters) high, flooding everything in their path. Tsunamis can injure or kill many people and cause significant damage to buildings and other structures. People can escape tsunamis by moving to higher ground or far inland after ground shaking stops.
Why should you not use the elevator or stairs during an earthquake?
The intense shaking of an earthquake can damage elevator machinery or break elevator cables, causing the elevator to drop or become stuck between floors.
