• Take cover under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture. If no table or desk is near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building.
• Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.
• Use a doorway for shelter only if it’s nearby and you know it’s a strongly supported, load-bearing doorway.
• Stay inside until the shaking stops and it’s safe to go outside. Most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to move to a different spot or try to leave.
• Do not use the elevators.
IF OUTDOORS
• Stay there.
• Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires.
• The greatest danger is outside buildings, at exits and alongside exterior walls. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass and falling objects.
IF IN A MOVING VEHICLE
• Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses and utility wires.
• Avoid roads, bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
• Learning how to prepare for the next destructive earthquake in South Sound is just a click away. Visit www.emd.wa.gov or www.co.thurston.wa.us/em.
Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency
