Full Notification

Your past experience in earthquakes may give you a false sense of safety; you didn't do anything, or you ran outside, yet you survived with no injuries. Or perhaps you got under your desk and others thought you overreacted. However, you likely have never experienced the kind of strong earthquake shaking that is possible in much larger earthquakes: sudden and intense back and forth motions of several feet per second will cause the floor or the ground to jerk sideways out from under you, and every unsecured object around you could topple, fall, or become airborne, potentially causing serious injury. This is why you must learn to immediately protect yourself after the first jolt... don't wait to see if the earthquake shaking will be strong!

In MOST situations, you will reduce your chance of injury if you:

	DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby.
	COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows) Stay on your knees; bend over to protect vital organs
	HOLD ON until shaking stops Under shelter: hold on to it with one hand; be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts No shelter: hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands.