Before And After Earthquake

If you are in a high-rise building, drop, cover, and hold on.

• Move away from windows and outside walls.
• Stay in the building.
• DO NOT use the elevators. The electricity may go out, and the sprinkler systems may come on.
• If you are trapped, stay calm. Try to get someone’s attention by tapping on hard or metal parts of the structure. Doing so may increase your chances of being rescued.

If you are outside, stay outside.

• Move away from buildings, utility wires, sinkholes, and fuel and gas lines. The greatest danger from falling debris is just outside doorways and close to outer walls of buildings.
• Go to an open area away from trees, telephone poles, and buildings. Once in the open, get down low and stay there until the shaking stops.
• The area near the outside walls of a building is the most dangerous place to be. Windows, facades, and architectural details are often the first parts of the building to collapse. Stay away from this danger zone.