Drop to your hands and knees, take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, and hold on until the shaking stops. That three-step response, known as “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” is endorsed by every major emergency agency in the United States and by international rescue teams who have pulled survivors from collapsed buildings worldwide. The shaking in most earthquakes lasts less than a minute, and what you do in those seconds largely determines whether you walk away uninjured.
Drop, Cover, and Hold On
The moment you feel shaking or receive an alert on your phone, drop to your hands and knees. This position keeps you from being knocked down and lets you crawl to cover. Get under a sturdy desk or table and protect your head and torso. Hold on to the legs of the furniture so it doesn’t shift away from you during strong shaking.
If there’s no table nearby, move to an interior wall, crouch down, and cover your head and neck with your arms. Stay away from windows, fireplaces, heavy appliances, and anything mounted on walls that could fall. The kitchen is one of the most dangerous rooms in a house during an earthquake because of falling dishes, glass, and heavy objects, so move out of it if you can.
Do not run outside while the building is shaking. Most earthquake injuries happen when people try to move to a different location and are struck by falling debris. Stay where you are, get low, and protect your head.
If You’re in Bed
If an earthquake strikes while you’re sleeping, stay in bed. Turn face down, cover your head and neck with your pillow, and hold on. Rolling out of bed puts you at risk of stepping on broken glass or being hit by objects that have fallen off shelves and nightstands. Your mattress already provides a buffer from debris above you.
If You’re in a High-Rise Building
Stay inside the building. Move away from windows and exterior walls, then drop, cover, and hold on just as you would anywhere else. Tall buildings are engineered to sway during earthquakes, and that movement can feel alarming, but the structure is designed for it. Do not use the elevators. Power outages are common during and after earthquakes, and sprinkler systems may activate, leaving you stuck in a flooded elevator car. If you become trapped after the shaking stops, stay calm and tap on hard or metal parts of the structure to help rescuers locate you.
If You’re Driving
Slow down and pull over to the side of the road as quickly as you safely can. Avoid stopping under overpasses, bridges, power lines, or large trees, as these are the structures most likely to collapse. Once you’ve stopped, turn off the engine, set the parking brake, and keep your seatbelt on. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is completely over.
After the shaking stops, drive only if necessary to reach a safe location or move your vehicle out of the way. Watch for cracks in the pavement, downed power lines, and debris. Never drive over a downed power line. Avoid bridges and overpasses even if they look intact, because internal damage isn’t always visible. If the ground starts shaking again, pull over and repeat the process. Stay off the roads once you’re somewhere safe until authorities confirm travel is clear.
If You’re Near the Coast
An earthquake near the ocean can trigger a tsunami, sometimes within minutes. The rule of thumb: if the shaking lasts 20 seconds or more, or if it’s strong enough to knock you off your feet, treat it as a natural tsunami warning. Other signs include a rapid, unusual rise or fall in the water level and a loud roar from the ocean.
First, protect yourself during the shaking with drop, cover, and hold on. As soon as the shaking stops, move quickly on foot to higher ground (at least 100 feet above sea level) or at least one mile inland. Don’t wait for an official warning. Tsunamis can arrive faster than alert systems can broadcast.
Earthquake Early Warning Alerts
If you live in an area served by the ShakeAlert system (currently the West Coast of the United States), your phone may deliver a warning seconds before you feel shaking. Those few seconds aren’t much, but they’re enough to drop under a desk, pull over a car, or step away from a hazardous area. The alert means an earthquake has already started somewhere nearby and damaging shaking is heading your way. Take protective action immediately, don’t wait to feel it yourself.
People who use mobility aids follow adapted versions of the same principle. If you use a wheelchair or walker, lock the wheels, cover your head and neck, and hold on. If you use a cane, drop to the ground, take cover, and hold on as best you can.
Myths That Can Get You Hurt
Two pieces of outdated advice still circulate widely, and both are considered dangerous by the USGS, the Red Cross, and professional rescue teams.
The first is standing in a doorway. This idea comes from old photographs of collapsed adobe houses where only the door frame survived. In modern homes, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the structure, and you can’t brace yourself effectively in one during violent shaking. You’re safer under a table.
The second is the “triangle of life,” an internet theory that advises lying next to large objects rather than under furniture, based on the idea that falling debris will create a survivable void beside the object. The USGS calls this a “misguided idea.” It was based on observations from a Turkish earthquake and doesn’t apply to the way buildings are constructed in the United States. Experienced rescue teams say predicting where voids will form is nearly impossible because it depends on the direction of shaking and countless structural variables.
What to Do After the Shaking Stops
Once the shaking ends, move carefully. Check yourself for injuries first, then check on others. Put on sturdy shoes before walking anywhere, because broken glass and debris are common even in moderate earthquakes.
Check for gas leaks. The signs are a rotten egg smell, a hissing sound near gas lines or appliances, or visible damage to a gas pipe. If you notice any of these, shut off the main gas valve, open windows, and leave the building. Do not flip light switches, light matches, or use anything that could create a spark. If you don’t smell gas or see damage, leave the valve alone.
Be prepared for aftershocks. These smaller earthquakes begin almost immediately after the main shock and follow a predictable pattern: frequent and relatively strong at first, then tapering off over time. For a moderate earthquake, aftershocks may continue for roughly 100 days. For a large earthquake, the aftershock sequence can last several years. Each aftershock calls for the same response: drop, cover, and hold on. Some aftershocks can be strong enough to cause additional damage to weakened structures, so avoid re-entering buildings that look compromised.
Prepare an Emergency Kit Before It Happens
The time to prepare is before an earthquake, not after. A basic emergency kit should include:
- Water: one gallon per person per day for at least three days, for both drinking and sanitation
- Food: a three-day supply of non-perishable items that don’t require cooking
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (a NOAA Weather Radio is ideal for receiving official updates)
- First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help if you’re trapped
- Cell phone charger and a backup battery pack
- Prescription medications: about half of all Americans take a daily prescription, and pharmacies may be closed or inaccessible for days after a major earthquake
- Basic over-the-counter medications: pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medicine, antacids
- Prescription eyeglasses or contact lens solution
Store the kit somewhere easy to grab, and check it twice a year to rotate out expired supplies and medications. If you have pets, include food and water for them as well.