Q&A for How to Know when an Earthquake Will Strike

Keep your pet calm and let it come and hide with you.

That would be the worst thing to do, because if it broke, you could get cut, and that could seriously injure or even kill you.

If you are sleeping, it is likely you will wake up but you may not be alert enough to move. If there are no structures likely to fall on the bed, stay in it. If there are structures liable to fall on the bed, such as tall furniture, an outside brick wall or a chimney, then try your best to move away from the bed to safer cover, if you are alert enough from the waking state.

Find a safe place to hide, then contact them as quickly as possible and discuss a place to meet. If possible, create an action plan ahead of time that you can all agree on and enact in the event of an emergency, like an earthquake.

The answer would all depend how big the quake was. It would need to be a big one to shake you out of bed. Sleeping through a quake is probably a good survival tactic, provided you have nothing hanging over the bed that could fall on you.

The best place to hide is in room with no or almost no windows, and a table to hide under. Do not go in a bathroom, or another place with mirrors or windows, as these will break and could kill you during a earthquake.

No one ever really knows how long an earthquakes will last; not even geologists can predict that. All you can do is stay covered and protected and not have anything above you that can fall and cause an injury.

Earthquakes are typically caused by tectonic plate movement; that is, segments of the earth's inner crust rubbing against each other, causing tension, and then releasing suddenly and violently. There's different types of tectonic movement, so just research plate tectonics and you'll find out plenty.

Stay away from the house, trees and tall structures, then lay down so you don't fall down.

If you are outside, stay away from tall trees. Lay down away from trees and stay until the shaking stops.

Stay under tables and well away from fireplaces. Try and find some sort of face covering to protect yourself from splinters and debris.

No, the warmth of the weather has nothing to do with the possibility of an earthquake.

Temporarily transfer your lizard to a plastic container with air holes until it's safe to return it to its aquarium.

Get out of the bed because the bunk beds may fall over.

Yes, that would be a safe place to be.

Get down low on the floor of the car and cover your head/shield your face to protect yourself from any glass that might have shattered from the windows/windshield.

Yes, an earthquake can happen anywhere and anytime, so it’s important to be prepared for the earthquake.

Earthquakes occur when a rock underground breaks along a fault, usually due to the movement of tectonic plates.

Scientists believe that some animals can sense signs of danger. If your cat or dog is acting strangely, maybe it can sense something. Catfish thrash around when they sense something wrong and hens can stop laying for no reason. Animals also flee their homes.

Hide away from heavy objects that could break or fall, stay away from windows and stay in a hallway if possible. Get out as soon as the earthquake is over.

By explaining to them what an earthquake is like and what signs to look for. Presumably you are clear with your children that what you are doing is a drill, and that these are the actions they would need to take if an earthquake was really going to happen.

You probably could not save your fish during an earthquake. The good new is, earthquakes big enough to hurt you or your fish are very uncommon, and depending on where you live, very unlikely.

Since cracking could cause it to fall on you (and potentially kill you), do not go under it. Find a wooden table instead.

No, stay in bed and cover your head with a pillow. It's fairly unlikely that the whole building will collapse onto your bed and kill you. You are very likely to be injured getting out of bed during strong shaking, so stay put - this is the action statistically least likely to injury you.

Go outside after the initial quake. Why? Your house probably won't withstand a magnitude 9 quake, even the best built places most likely wouldn't hold up.

No if you are caught in a basement during a quake, it is possible that the basement will collapse, trapping you underground and hurting or possibly killing you.

Those don't exist. But if they did, and if you were prepared enough, you would probably be able to survive. The biggest quake ever was 9.5, and only a few thousand people died because the foreshocks frightened people into the streets and away from falling buildings.

You will want to get out of the shower and take cover outside of the bathroom. Grab your towel then find a place to cover under a table or cabinet. Shower glass can shatter during an earthquake, which can cause injury to your naked body.