» Health, Diet, Fitness

Earthquake Safety – What to Do in an Earthquake.

Leslie — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:44:45 +0000

Unless you live in a hole or somewhere other than the east coast of the U.S., you know that we just had an earthquake centered in Mineral, Virginia and felt as far north as New Hampshire. Having grown up in California, I’ve been in a few earthquakes. At school, we had earthquake drills. But I’m not sure they have those in the east. No one thinks of the east coast when they think of earthquakes, even though this is the third earthquake I’ve been in while living in Virginia.

As my house started to rumble and shake, I headed straight to the bathroom. I could have ducked under my desk, but the bathroom has nothing to fall on me and no windows. Since it is about 10 feet away from my office, I felt I could get there safely.

What you’re not supposed to do is run outside, which is what many people instinctively want to do. The problem with running outside is that stuff might fall on you. Falling stuff is the danger and why you need to get under a strong structure ASAP.

Of course, if you’re already outside, stay there and move away from buildings to avoid falling stuff.

To read more on earthquake safety, check out FEMA’s recommendations.

Healthy Mama Tips Nov. 25, 2009

Leslie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:59:53 +0000