UhOhToons · Fire and home
Earthquake Tips: Doorways Are a Myth! Do This Instead
What to do in an earthquake at home: it's not the doorway.
What not to do
- Don't stand in a doorway. In a modern house, it's no safer.
- Don't run outside. The ground is moving. You can fall.
- Don't wait to see how bad it gets. Act on the first shake.
This really happened
January 1994, Northridge, California: a magnitude 6.7 earthquake. 33 people died and over 7,000 were hurt (USGS). Read the report
Every word of the Short
The floor starts shaking. Your first thought? Get in a doorway. Wrong. Here's what really keeps you safe. Don't stand in a doorway. In a modern house, it's no safer. What hurts people most? Falling and flying stuff. TVs, lamps, glass, shelves. A doorway won't block any of it. Don't run outside. The ground is moving. You can fall. Don't wait to see how bad it gets. Act on the first shake.
One. Drop. Down on your hands and knees. Right where you are.
Two. Cover. One arm over your head and neck. Table close by? Crawl under it. No table? Crawl to an inside wall. Away from windows.
Three. Hold on. Under a table? Grab a leg. Table sliding? Move with it. No table? Hold your head and neck with both arms. Hold on until the shaking stops. In bed? Stay there. Face down. Pillow over your head and neck. In a wheelchair? Lock your wheels. Bend over. Cover your head and neck.
Four. It stops? Wait a minute before you get up. Put on shoes. There may be broken glass. Someone badly hurt? Call 911.
Five. It shakes again? Drop, cover, hold on. Again. Say it with me. Drop. Cover. Hold on. Tonight, practice it with your family. And keep shoes by your bed. Follow UhOhToons to live.
Sources
Every step in this video comes from these sources. We re-read each one before the video went out.
