Earthquakes, drop, cover and hold on, and the house after

When the shaking starts, protect yourself right where you are. If you're indoors, stay indoors. Don't run outside, and don't stand in a doorway. Practice the move below with everyone in the house so it's automatic when you need it.

Drop, cover and hold on

• Drop. Get down on your hands and knees.
• Cover. Cover your head and neck with one arm. If a sturdy table or desk is close, crawl under it. If not, get down next to an inside wall, away from windows, and stay on your knees, bent over.
• Hold on. Stay there until the shaking stops. Under a table, hold a leg with one hand and be ready to move with it. With nothing to get under, hold your head and neck with both arms.

If you're not at a table

• In bed. Turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow.
• In a car. Pull over, stop and set the parking brake.
• Outside. Stay outside. Move to an open spot away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines.
• With a cane. Drop, cover and hold on, or sit on a chair or the bed and cover your head and neck with both hands. Keep the cane close.
• In a wheelchair. Lock the wheels, bend forward, and cover your head and neck with your arms, a book or a pillow.
• With a walker. Get as low as you safely can, cover your head and neck, and hold on.

Right after the shaking

Expect aftershocks, and drop, cover and hold on again each time. If the building you're in is damaged, get out and away from it, and don't go back into any damaged building. If you're trapped, text if you can, or bang on a pipe or wall. Use a whistle instead of shouting. Near the coast, head inland or to high ground as soon as the shaking stops, in case of a tsunami.

Send texts instead of calling. They're more likely to get through, and they use less battery.

Checking the house

Check for gas first. Sniff near the meter and near every gas appliance: the water heater, furnace, stove and any gas fireplace. Turn the gas off at the meter only if you smell gas, hear it hissing, or see the meter dial spinning fast. Once it's off, only the gas company can turn it back on. Until you're sure there's no leak, don't light a match, lighter or candle, or switch on anything that could spark.

Then look at a brick or stone chimney for cracks or shifting, most often at the roof line and where it narrows. Even if you see no damage, don't use the fireplace until a chimney inspector has looked at it. Don't push on a chimney you think is damaged, and keep clear of it inside and out.

For the cleanup, wear long sleeves, long pants, work gloves and sturdy shoes with thick soles. Don't move heavy debris by yourself.

An annotated example

What to do next

Practice drop, cover and hold on with everyone in the house, find the gas shutoff at the meter, and sign up for earthquake alerts where you live. The earthquake checklist for the house covers securing what can fall before the next one.