Q&A for How to Survive an Earthquake

Drop, take cover, and hold on in a tall building as you would in any other spot. There isn't time to get to a lower floor, so your best course of action is to take cover as best you can. Do not take the elevators.

Hide under furniture and do not go outside. Wait until the earthquake has ended and there are no more aftershocks before leaving your home.

Get out of the water as soon as you can and head for higher ground. Earthquakes in coastal regions can trigger high waves and dangerous tsunamis.

Pack canned food once you get the warning. If you live in a place prone for earthquakes, pack food ahead of time and have it regularly rotated and restocked to ensure that the food is always in date and of the best quality. Ensure that you have a can opener as well. If you have a camping stove with fuel, rice, pasta and lentils are great to have too. Jerky (biltong) and other dried meats can be helpful for quick and easy protein that lasts. Ensure that you have food for babies and pets as well.

Do drop, cover and hold. This will usually happen under your desk. Some schools have earthquake drills, especially schools in earthquake prone areas of the world such as New Zealand, Japan and the USA, to help children know what to do. Remember that while teachers will direct students in the event of an earthquake, it is good to know how to drop, cover and hold as standard practice.

Yell for help. If you're unable to yell, try to tap on something nearby, louder and louder, until help arrives.

Your life is more important than your sleep. Worry about your sleep later. You can survive 5 to 7 days without sleep.

All you can do is try to get away from the crack.

Try and stop the bleeding, lean against something on a safe location and call for help.

You'll wake up. Find something to hide under, then drop, cover and hold.

Probably not if you live in a neighborhood, but if you live near the woods, it is advisable.

If you're on public transit, look for evacuation or safety information posters on your bus or train. The driver will pull over in a safe spot. Follow any instructions offered by your public transit authority officials.

You only need to pack essentials such as water, canned and dried food, flashlight, spare batteries, first aid kit, multi purpose tool, etc. but you can pack some clothes as well.

If you have a cell phone, try to use it to call for help. Otherwise, use your voice to call out to anyone who might be nearby. If no one comes to help, stay calm and stay still. Most likely, emergency services will come looking for injured or trapped individuals as soon as it is safe.

You should avoid hiding next to a building because in the event the building collapses, you could be severely injured. This also leaves you vulnerable to flying debris.

Shelter in place, wait for the shaking to stop, and exit via the stairs when it is safe to do so.

Someone will come. However, if 24 hours passes, it might be wise to try to dig your way out of the rubble.

If you're still inside, try to get out of the building before it collapses. Don't go back in to try to help them. Call 911 if you have a phone, or yell for someone to help you.

No, I wouldn't do this unless the tank is meant to hold people. Otherwise, you could get trapped or hurt.

When you drop on the ground, take cover under a sturdy table, and hold on to the legs.

Finish and get out of the bathroom to a safe place as quickly as possible.

There is not much to do in this situation but hope that you do not fall that far. If there is a tree or something to grab, then grab it. Grab anything you can.

Stay where you are until the earthquake finishes. Then exit through the stairs. Do not use the elevator.

It is best to go down; the lower floors of a building are usually safer in an earthquake, and it will ensure that you have an easier route to the exit when the earthquake stops.

No, that would be a bad idea for a number of reasons. Most obviously, there is a risk that the cabinet could fall with you inside of it.

Since you're not on the ground, then you wouldn't experience any effects (good or bad) from the earthquake; you may not even know it's happening. If you're on the ground in a plane, then you could still survive pretty easily.

You need to get yourself to safety, and go back in to save your pets later.

Windows won't necessarily break in an earthquake. Shelter in the center of the room you're in, under a table or desk if possible.

The main shockwave can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on the type of earthquake. Note that even an earthquake that lasts for 15 seconds can cause billions of dollars in damage; the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake only lasted about eight seconds but destroyed a major freeway, part of a bridge, and numerous buildings throughout California.

Earthquake resistant buildings rarely collapse; however, if you happen to be in a collapsed structure, you will need to make noise. Do not scream or yell as that lets toxic particles into your lungs. Bang on pipes, blow whistles, use anything you can to help first responders find you.