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Drop, cover, and hold on!
Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place. It is very dangerous to try to
leave a building during an earthquake because objects can fall on you. Many
fatalities occur when people run outside of buildings, only to be killed by
falling debris from collapsing walls. In U.S. buildings, you are safer to
stay where you are.
If you are in bed, hold on
and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. You are less likely
to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass on the floor has caused
injury to those who have rolled to the floor or tried to get to doorways.
If you are outdoors, find a
clear spot away from buildings, trees, streetlights, and power lines. Drop
to the ground and stay there until the shaking stops. Injuries can occur
from falling trees, street-lights and power lines, or building debris.
If you are in a vehicle, pull
over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened
until the shaking has stopped. Trees, power lines, poles, street signs,
and other overhead items may fall during earthquakes. Stopping will help
reduce your risk, and a hard-topped vehicle will help protect you from
flying or falling objects. Once the shaking has stopped, proceed with
caution. Avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the quake.
Stay indoors until the
shaking stops and you're sure it's safe to exit. More injuries happen
when people move during the shaking of an earthquake. After the shaking has
stopped, if you go outside, move quickly away from the building to prevent
injury from falling debris.
Stay away from windows.
Windows can shatter with such force that you can be injured several feet
away.
In a high-rise building,
expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake.
Earthquakes frequently cause fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems to go off
even if there is no fire. Check for and extinguish small fires, and, if
exiting, use the stairs.
If you are in a coastal area,
move to higher ground. Tsunamis are often created by earthquakes.
If you are in a mountainous area or near
unstable slopes or cliffs, be alert for falling rocks and other debris that
could be loosened by the earthquake. Landslides commonly happen after
earthquakes.
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