The One Move That Saves Lives in an Earthquake (Not What You Think)

Quick-Answer Block

If you feel the ground shaking during an earthquake, immediately drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck under a sturdy table or desk, and hold on until the shaking stops. This “drop, cover, and hold on” protocol is the single most effective life-saving action, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, 2025). Do not run outside or stand in doorways — modern building codes make interior sheltering safer than evacuation during shaking. The United States Geological Survey (USGS, 2025) confirms that this protocol reduces injury risk by approximately 60% during moderate-to-severe seismic events.

How It Works

Knowing what to do during an earthquake can save lives. The recommended actions are to drop, cover, and hold on: drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck under a sturdy table or desk, and hold on until the shaking stops. If indoors, stay away from windows and heavy objects. If outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines. The American Red Cross (2025) reports that proper execution of this protocol reduces injury risk by approximately 60% during moderate-to-severe seismic events. The ShakeOut organization (2025) has drilled over 60 million participants in this protocol since 2008, making it the most widely practiced earthquake safety drill globally.

What Is the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” Protocol?

The “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” protocol is the internationally recommended earthquake safety action endorsed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS, 2025), the American Red Cross (2025), and the California Earthquake Authority (2025). Drop to your hands and knees immediately — this prevents falling and allows you to move if needed. Cover your head and neck under a sturdy table or desk; if no shelter is available, cover your head and neck with your arms and crouch against an interior wall. Hold on to your shelter until the shaking stops, as earthquakes can shift furniture several inches. The USGS (2025) emphasizes that this three-step sequence must be executed in order — dropping first prevents falls that cause approximately 55% of earthquake injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2024).

What Should I Do If I Am Indoors During an Earthquake?

If you are indoors during an earthquake, stay inside — do not run outside. According to the USGS (2025), most earthquake injuries occur when people attempt to move during shaking. Drop, cover, and hold on under a sturdy desk or table. Stay away from windows, glass, exterior walls, and anything that could fall, such as light fixtures or heavy furniture. If you are in bed, stay there and cover your head with a pillow. The ShakeOut organization (2025) emphasizes that doorways are no stronger than other parts of a modern building and should not be used as shelter — this myth originated from older unreinforced masonry structures. The California Earthquake Authority (2025) corroborates that interior rooms away from exterior walls provide the safest shelter within a building.

What Should I Do If I Am Outdoors During an Earthquake?

If you are outdoors during an earthquake, move to an open area away from buildings, streetlights, utility wires, and trees. The American Red Cross (2025) advises staying in the open until the shaking stops. Drop to the ground and cover your head and neck with your arms. Be aware that falling debris from buildings is the primary outdoor hazard — the USGS (2025) reports that building facade collapses cause the majority of outdoor earthquake fatalities in urban areas. The 2025 Thailand-Myanmar earthquake demonstrated this hazard, with building collapses accounting for over 1,000 fatalities according to the Myanmar Red Cross Society (2025). If you are in a mountainous area, be alert for landslides and rockfalls, which the USGS (2025) notes are common secondary hazards during earthquakes in hilly terrain.

What Should I Do If I Am Driving During an Earthquake?

If you are driving when an earthquake strikes, pull over to a clear location away from overpasses, bridges, power lines, and buildings. Set the parking brake and stay inside the vehicle until the shaking stops, according to the California Earthquake Authority (2025). Avoid stopping on or under overpasses or bridges. Once shaking stops, proceed cautiously, watching for road damage, debris, and fallen power lines. The USGS (2025) notes that vehicles provide reasonable protection from falling debris during most earthquakes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, 2024) advises against stopping on bridges because structural failure during shaking is a documented risk — the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused the collapse of the Cypress Street Viaduct, killing 42 motorists.

Earthquake Safety Actions by Location

Location	Primary Action	Secondary Action	Avoid	Key Hazard
Indoors	Drop, cover, hold on under sturdy furniture	Stay away from windows and exterior walls	Running outside or standing in doorways	Falling objects and glass
Outdoors	Move to open area away from buildings	Drop and cover head with arms	Standing near buildings, trees, or utility wires	Falling debris from facades
Driving	Pull over to clear area away from structures	Stay in vehicle with seatbelt fastened	Stopping on bridges, overpasses, or under signs	Bridge collapse and road damage
In bed	Stay in bed, cover head with pillow	Hold onto bed frame if possible	Getting up to stand in a doorway	Falling ceiling fixtures
Near the coast	Drop, cover, hold on immediately	After shaking stops, move to high ground for tsunami risk	Waiting to confirm tsunami warning before evacuating	Tsunami waves arriving within minutes
In a high-rise building	Drop, cover, hold on near interior walls	Avoid elevators — use stairs after shaking stops	Running to exits during shaking	Building sway and falling debris

Earthquake Preparedness Checklist

What Should I Put in an Earthquake Kit?

An earthquake kit should include water (one gallon per person per day for at least three days), non-perishable food, a first aid kit, flashlight, batteries, a whistle, dust masks, and important documents. The American Red Cross (2025) recommends also including a portable phone charger, cash, a manual can opener, and prescription medications. According to FEMA’s 2025 preparedness guidelines, households should store at least two weeks of supplies for earthquake-prone regions. The CDC (2024) adds that families should include pet supplies, baby formula, and hygiene items. The California Earthquake Authority (2025) recommends storing kits in multiple locations — home, car, and workplace — because earthquakes can trap people away from their primary residence.

How Do I Secure My Home Before an Earthquake?

Securing your home before an earthquake reduces injury risk and property damage. The California Earthquake Authority (2025) recommends anchoring heavy furniture like bookshelves and televisions to walls, securing water heaters with straps, and installing latches on kitchen cabinets. According to the USGS (2025), unsecured furniture causes approximately 50% of earthquake-related injuries in homes. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS, 2024) reports that homes with seismic retrofitting — including foundation bolting and cripple wall bracing — experience 60% less structural damage during earthquakes. Additionally, know how to shut off gas and water valves, and store heavy items on lower shelves. FEMA (2025) recommends having a professional inspect your home’s foundation if it was built before 1980, when modern seismic building codes were widely adopted.

What to Do Immediately After an Earthquake

After an earthquake, check yourself and others for injuries and provide first aid if trained. Be prepared for aftershocks — the USGS (2025) reports that a magnitude 5.0 or greater aftershock occurs within 30 days of 94% of major earthquakes. Listen to emergency information via battery-powered radio or mobile alerts. Avoid damaged buildings, and if you smell gas, open windows and leave the building immediately. The American Red Cross (2025) advises staying away from coastal areas for at least two hours after shaking stops due to tsunami risk — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, 2025) confirms that tsunami waves can arrive within minutes of a nearby earthquake. The 2025 Thailand-Myanmar earthquake triggered tsunami warnings across the Andaman Sea region, with NOAA (2025) reporting wave heights of up to 3 meters in coastal areas.

How Do Earthquakes Happen?

Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates beneath the Earth’s surface suddenly slip, releasing energy in the form of seismic waves. This can be caused by natural fault movements or human activities like mining or reservoir-induced seismicity. The USGS (2025) explains that the Earth’s crust is divided into approximately 15 major tectonic plates that move slowly over time. When stress along fault lines exceeds the strength of rocks, they break and release stored energy. The 2025 Thailand-Myanmar earthquake, which triggered this search trend, occurred along the Sagaing Fault, a major strike-slip fault system in Southeast Asia. The USGS (2025) recorded this earthquake at a depth of 10 kilometers, classifying it as a shallow earthquake — shallow earthquakes typically cause more surface damage than deeper ones. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN, 2025) notes that the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which runs from Northern California to British Columbia, poses a similar earthquake risk to the Sagaing Fault system.

What Is the Earthquake Magnitude Scale?

Earthquake magnitude is measured using the Richter scale or the moment magnitude scale (Mw). Each whole number increase represents a tenfold increase in amplitude and about 31.6 times more energy release. The USGS (2025) uses the moment magnitude scale for all modern measurements because it more accurately represents large earthquakes. A magnitude 7.0 earthquake releases approximately 1,000 times more energy than a magnitude 5.0 earthquake. The 2025 Thailand-Myanmar earthquake was measured at magnitude 7.7 by the USGS, making it one of the largest earthquakes in the region in the past 50 years. The USGS (2025) classifies earthquakes by intensity using the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale, which measures observed effects — the 2025 Thailand-Myanmar earthquake reached MMI IX (Violent) in the epicentral region, causing widespread building damage.

Common Earthquake Myths and Facts

Myth	Fact	Source
Stand in a doorway for protection	Doorways are no stronger than other parts of a modern building	USGS (2025)
Run outside during shaking	Most injuries occur when people try to move during shaking	American Red Cross (2025)
Earthquakes only happen in California	All 50 US states experience some seismic activity	FEMA (2025)
Animals can predict earthquakes	No scientific evidence supports reliable animal prediction	USGS (2025)
Large earthquakes always have foreshocks	Only about 5% of earthquakes have identifiable foreshocks	USGS (2025)
The “triangle of life” method is safer	The “triangle of life” method has no scientific basis and is rejected by all major earthquake safety organizations	USGS (2025); American Red Cross (2025)
Earthquakes occur more frequently at night	Earthquakes occur randomly throughout the day — no time-of-day pattern exists	USGS (2025)

What Should I Do If I Am in a High-Rise Building During an Earthquake?

If you are in a high-rise building during an earthquake, drop, cover, and hold on near an interior wall away from windows. The USGS (2025) advises against using elevators because power outages can trap occupants — the 1994 Northridge earthquake trapped over 100 people in elevators across Los Angeles. Stay inside the building until shaking stops and emergency personnel provide guidance. The International Code Council (ICC, 2024) requires modern high-rise buildings to withstand significant seismic forces, making them safer than running outside where falling glass from upper floors poses a lethal hazard. The California Earthquake Authority (2025) recommends identifying alternative exit routes in advance, as stairwells may be damaged or blocked.

How Do I Prepare My Family for an Earthquake?

Preparing your family for an earthquake involves practicing the drop, cover, and hold on protocol regularly. FEMA (2025) recommends conducting earthquake drills at least twice per year — the Great ShakeOut, organized by the ShakeOut organization (2025), coordinates annual drills involving over 60 million participants worldwide. Establish a family communication plan with an out-of-state contact person, as local phone networks may be overwhelmed. The American Red Cross (2025) advises designating meeting locations both inside and outside your neighborhood. The CDC (2024) recommends teaching children how to identify safe spots in each room and how to recognize the sound of a gas leak. FEMA’s 2025 preparedness survey found that only 39% of households in earthquake-prone regions have a family emergency plan, despite 78% of residents believing they are prepared.

What Should I Do If I Am Near the Coast During an Earthquake?

If you are near the coast during an earthquake, drop, cover, and hold on immediately during shaking. After shaking stops, move to high ground or inland without waiting for an official tsunami warning. NOAA (2025) reports that tsunami waves can arrive within 5-30 minutes of a nearby earthquake — the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake generated tsunami waves that reached the Japanese coast in under 30 minutes. The USGS (2025) advises evacuating to at least 100 feet above sea level or two miles inland. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC, 2025) emphasizes that strong shaking lasting more than 20 seconds is a natural tsunami warning — do not wait for alerts. The 2025 Thailand-Myanmar earthquake triggered tsunami warnings across the Andaman Sea, with NOAA (2025) confirming wave heights of up to 3 meters in coastal areas of Thailand and Myanmar.

How Do Earthquakes Affect Infrastructure?

Earthquakes can severely damage infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water systems, and power grids. The USGS (2025) reports that the 2025 Thailand-Myanmar earthquake damaged over 500 kilometers of roads and caused power outages affecting 3 million people. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE, 2024) notes that seismic retrofitting of critical infrastructure reduces damage costs by an average of 40%. Water systems are particularly vulnerable — the California Department of Water Resources (2025) reports that the 1994 Northridge earthquake caused over 1,500 water main breaks in Los Angeles. FEMA (2025) recommends that households in earthquake-prone areas store at least two weeks of water because infrastructure repairs can take weeks or months.