In an earthquake, first see what kind of building you are in: in a building built to seismic standards take cover in place, and in an old building that could collapse, go out if the door is a few steps away

In a real emergency, call 911 first, then read this.

Cost

Free. Look ahead of time at how many steps it is to go out of your home, which way you would go, and which table is sturdy.

What you get

The China Earthquake Administration's (中国地震局) explainer video, "An Earthquake Is Coming: Take Cover or Run?", gives the rule "take cover nearby during the shaking, evacuate quickly afterward," and states clearly that "this refers to being inside a building that meets seismic design requirements." The reason is that such buildings "are less likely to collapse as a whole." The original says "falling building parts and decorations" "are the biggest threat to life," while "running around blindly with no protection during the shaking" "makes it easy to be hit by falling ceilings and lamps or fans." The way to take cover is to "protect the head and neck with your hands or other soft objects" "and hold the table legs tight"; with no table, "crouch quickly against a load-bearing wall" "away from outer walls, windows and balconies." "If you are outdoors," you "should at once evacuate to an open area." Looking the other way, in the 1988 Armenian earthquake, Soviet-style prefabricated panel buildings collapsed in large numbers. The case-control study of that quake says "leaving the building after the first shock was a protective behavior." People who stayed indoors were 4.40 times as likely to be injured as those who ran out (odds ratio 4.40), 95% CI 2.24–8.71 (confidence interval, the range the true value likely falls in). They were 12.20 times as likely to be injured inside a building as outdoors (3.62–63.79). In buildings of 5 floors or more, they were 3.65 times as likely as in lower buildings (2.12–6.33). The earthquake explainer from the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) states: "people living in old brick-and-concrete buildings should be more proactive in looking for a chance to evacuate quickly." For those in single-story houses, "if you are by a door or window, and there are no other dangerous buildings outside the window, you can run at once to the open space in the middle of the courtyard." During an earthquake, "never use the elevator"; on the first or second floor, "do not choose to jump from a window to escape"; on a high floor, "take care not to go downstairs." Once outdoors, stay away from buildings with glass curtain walls, elevated roads, utility poles, street lamps and billboards

Notes

Disputed; the two conclusions are about two kinds of buildings. The China Earthquake Administration itself writes the condition for "take cover" as "inside a building that meets seismic design requirements." It also asks for "measures suited to local conditions" and "to the individual," looking together at whether the building is earthquake-resistant, where you are in it, and whether you can run. In the Armenian buildings whole structures fell, there was nowhere to take cover, and going out was the better choice. For U.S. homes, FEMA advises "drop, cover your head and neck, and hold on, and do not run outside," where injuries come mainly from falling objects and from falling while moving during the shaking. The Northridge study also suggests that reaching out to catch things, or grabbing something that "looks stable," makes injuries worse. So asking only "run or not" is no use; you have to judge "will this building collapse, and can you reach open ground in a few seconds." In a building that meets seismic design requirements, where you would have to go down stairs or through a lobby, take cover in place. Telling these by "built to code after 2001" is the author's rough dividing line; the official text says only "meets seismic design requirements." In a single-story house, an old brick house or a self-built house with no seismic design, if the door is just a few steps away, go out. The Armenian study compared only the injured and uninjured among survivors, did not count the dead, and did not say whether it adjusted for the effect of floor height. People who could run out may already have lived on low floors, so discount the figures. In every case, don't jump from a window, don't take the elevator, and don't go down stairs while the shaking goes on. Once outdoors, stay away from tall buildings, elevated roads, utility poles, glass curtain walls and billboards.

Evidence grade

B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.

Sources

1. China Earthquake Administration (produced by the Anhui Earthquake Administration). Should You Hide or Run When an Earthquake Strikes? [in Chinese] (science video, transcript of the subtitles). https://www.cea.gov.cn/cea/dzpd/dzcs/5537260/index.html
2. Armenian HK, Noji EK, Oganesian AP (1992). A case-control study of injuries arising from the earthquake in Armenia, 1988. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 70(2), 251-257. https://europepmc.org/article/MED/1600585
3. US FEMA Ready.gov. Earthquakes. https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes
4. Mahue-Giangreco M, Mack W, Seligson H, Bourque LB (2001). Risk factors associated with moderate and serious injuries attributable to the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Annals of Epidemiology, 11(5), 347-357. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1047-2797(01)00220-4
5. Ministry of Emergency Management (2019). Earthquake Self-Rescue Handbook: It Can Save Your Life at a Critical Moment! [in Chinese] https://www.mem.gov.cn/kp/zrzh/201904/t20190401_366172.shtml
6. Ministry of Emergency Management (2019). Common Knowledge on Earthquake Risk Avoidance, Self-Rescue and Mutual Rescue [in Chinese]: "Never jump from a building in panic" "Avoid tall buildings or structures: buildings, especially those with glass curtain walls; pedestrian overpasses and flyovers" "Avoid dangerous, towering or hanging objects: transformers, utility poles, street lamps, billboards, cranes and so on". https://www.mem.gov.cn/kp/zrzh/201902/t20190226_366163.shtml
7. Ministry of Emergency Management (2019). How to Respond to Earthquakes in Different Places [in Chinese]: "If you are on a high floor, be careful not to go down the stairs". https://www.mem.gov.cn/kp/zrzh/201903/t20190328_366164.shtml

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 13, tip 30. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer