1/ Answering your questions: What do you do in an #earthquake?
• If in bed: Stay there, cover your head with blankets and pillow.
• Anywhere else: DROP to the ground, take COVER under something sturdy, HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
• If in bed: Stay there, cover your head with blankets and pillow.
• Anywhere else: DROP to the ground, take COVER under something sturdy, HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
2/ “But I would rather run away.”
Let’s address this. Human nature has three basic fear responses: fight, flight and freeze. Each can be a decisive action we take when under threat. But, taking the wrong action at the wrong time can cause problems.
Let’s address this. Human nature has three basic fear responses: fight, flight and freeze. Each can be a decisive action we take when under threat. But, taking the wrong action at the wrong time can cause problems.
3/ During a severe earthquake running away (flight) is the fastest way to get injured or killed. The shaking can be so strong that a fleeing person is knocked to the ground. According to @CDCgov, 1 in 5 falls leads to a serious injury. cdc.gov/homeandrecreat…
4/ Broken bones or twisted joints are not a great start to your earthquake recovery. After an earthquake, we need one another to be our best selves for the physical tasks that will confront us: Rescues, searches, packing, carrying supplies, fire suppression, evacuations, etc.
5/ People can also get injured as they run out of buildings where they are safe. Earthquakes cause building materials to plummet to the ground. Skip to 3:35 in this video for an example. These people are lucky they weren’t killed.
6/ The freeze fear response also won’t serve you well in a quake. We need to act quickly to take cover. Freezing sometimes come from a sense of denial. Sociologists like Dr. Dennis Mileti tells us that humans are very bad at moving from feeling safe to feeling unsafe.
8/ Part of that period of time is denial. You can read about the “survival arc” (moving from denial, through deliberation and finally to decisive action) in @amandaripley’s book “The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why.” At your library and @audible_com.
9/ So how do we start preparing to take the right action at the right time? It means that we are willing to take some time thinking about uncomfortable situations to mentally plan for the correct actions to take.
10/ So when shaking starts, drop, cover and hold on. That’s the minimum activity we ask people to practice during the annual @UtahShakeOut earthquake drill on April 18 at 10:15 am. Can’t participate that day? 👌OK. Do it on a different day. ShakeOut.org/Utah for the deets.
11/ Drop, cover, hold on protects you from nonstructural things that can fall on you and injure you. Remember, we are working with probabilities here. You are more likely to be safe under a table than in other locations. And if you’re outside in an open field, well done!
12/ What if there’s nowhere to take cover? Our @ShakeOut friends created this series of videos to help with other situations:
• In a stadium or theater.
• While driving.
• If you’re outside.
• If you’re inside and there’s nowhere to take cover.
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
• In a stadium or theater.
• While driving.
• If you’re outside.
• If you’re inside and there’s nowhere to take cover.
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
13/ For people with disabilities, here is a helpful graphic. A version en español is available on this site: earthquakecountry.org/disability/ 
14/ Our invitation to you: Take some time thinking about where you will be safest when an earthquake happens. Notice safe locations when you are out and about. And please, please, teach your family, friends and co-workers about what you have learned. Thanks for hanging with us!
