Earthquake Preparedness at Home: Drop, Cover, Hold On and How to Secure What Falls

Earthquake preparedness is unusual among the things we plan for, because there is no warning, no watch, no forecast and no time to pack. Severe weather at least gives you lead time, which is why knowing the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning is worth something. An earthquake gives you none of that. The shaking starts and whatever you already did is what you have. That makes this topic split cleanly into two halves: the 15 seconds of correct behavior, and the weekend of unglamorous work that keeps your house from throwing things at you.

The good news is that both halves are cheap and neither is complicated. The bad news is that a lot of confident, wrong advice circulates about the first half, so we are going to clear that out before anything else.

What is Drop, Cover and Hold On, exactly?

It is three actions you do at once, and ShakeOut defines them precisely:

1. DROP onto your hands and knees. This position keeps you from being knocked over, and it lets you crawl.

2. COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it. If there is nothing nearby, crawl next to an interior wall away from windows.

3. HOLD ON to your shelter with your other hand until the shaking stops. If you are under a table, hold a table leg, because furniture moves during shaking.

The order matters. You drop before you are dropped. The Earthquake Country Alliance is direct about why: every unsecured object around you could topple, fall, or become airborne, and that is what hurts people.

Do not try to run. ShakeOut says trying to run during an earthquake is dangerous, and running outside is especially dangerous, because glass, bricks and other building parts come down along the outside walls. The most dangerous place in an earthquake is often the doorway of a building, walking out.

Why are doorways no longer the advice?

Because the doorway advice came from a specific kind of building that most of us do not live in. It dates back to photographs of collapsed unreinforced adobe and masonry homes where the doorframe was the only thing left standing. In a modern wood frame or engineered house, that is no longer true.

The Earthquake Country Alliance puts it plainly: doorways are not stronger than any other part of the house, and they do not protect you from falling or flying objects. ShakeOut adds that doorways are no safer and tells you to get under a table instead.

There is a practical problem too. A doorway is a narrow opening with a heavy swinging door in it, you cannot brace well while standing, and you are exposed on both sides. A table gives you a roof.

Is the "triangle of life" real advice?

No. It is a forwarded email that has been circulating for two decades, and it is rejected by essentially every US earthquake authority. ShakeOut's assessment is blunt: the triangle of life email recommends potentially life threatening actions, and the source has been discredited by leading experts.

The core claim is that you should lie down next to a large object rather than under a table, because the object will hold up a "void" when the building pancakes. The problem is that it is built on the wrong hazard. It generalizes from unreinforced concrete buildings that pancake in a way US construction generally does not, and it asks you to move across a room during violent shaking, which is exactly the thing that gets people knocked down and hit by falling objects.

If you are trying to remember one line: in the United States, the danger is usually the stuff in the building, not the building. Drop, Cover and Hold On protects you from the stuff.

What do you do if you are in bed, in a car, or using a wheelchair?

The principle stays the same. Protect your head and neck, and do not move any farther than you have to.

• In bed: stay there. The Earthquake Country Alliance says to lie face down to protect your vital organs and cover your head and neck with a pillow, holding on with both hands. Getting up in the dark means walking on broken glass.

• In a wheelchair or using a walker: lock your wheels if you can, then bend over and cover your head and neck with your arms, a book, or a pillow. With a walker, get as low as you safely can first.

• Using a cane: sit on a chair or bed, cover your head and neck with both hands, and keep the cane within reach so you can use it afterward on a floor covered in debris.

• In a car: pull over as soon as it is safe, stop clear of overpasses, bridges, power lines and buildings, set the parking brake and stay in the vehicle until the shaking stops. The car's suspension will make the shaking feel worse than it is.

• Outdoors: move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires, then drop and cover. The perimeter of a building is where the falling material lands.

• In a store or theater: drop where you are, cover your head and neck, and stay put. Do not run for the exit with everyone else.

What in your house is most likely to hurt you?

The heavy things that are not fastened to anything. This is the part of earthquake preparedness that nobody posts about, and it is the part that actually reduces injuries.

The Earthquake Country Alliance starts with the free version: move top heavy furniture such as bookcases away from beds, sofas and the places people sit and sleep, and move heavy items to lower shelves. That costs nothing and it works. Then comes the hardware.

The water heater. This is the one to do first. A tipped water heater breaks its gas line and its water line at the same time, which means a fire risk plus the loss of 40 or more gallons of drinkable water you were counting on. The Earthquake Country Alliance says to secure it to wall studs with two metal straps. California's plumbing code (CPC 507.2), reproduced in county handouts like this Riverside County strapping detail, gives the placement: strapping goes at points within the upper one third and the lower one third of the tank, and the lower strap must keep a minimum of 4 inches of clearance above the controls.

Two straps, not one, because a single strap in the middle lets the tank pivot and walk. Upper third and lower third, because that is where the leverage is. And 4 inches above the controls so the strap does not sit on the gas valve or thermostat. Heaters up to 120 gallons can also be strapped per the manufacturer's instructions or a pre-engineered kit from a hardware store, which is what most homeowners will use.

Bookcases, dressers and tall cabinets. Anchor them to wall studs, not just drywall. A drywall anchor holds a picture frame. It does not hold 200 pounds of loaded bookcase in horizontal shaking. Find the stud, use a proper L bracket or a flexible furniture strap rated for the weight, and put the heaviest books on the bottom shelves while you are at it.

Kitchen cabinets. Install latches. Not childproof plastic clips necessarily, but positive latches that hold under shaking. An unlatched upper cabinet in a kitchen empties its contents onto the floor, and then you are walking through broken glass barefoot in the dark.

Televisions and computers. Secure them with straps made for the job. A flat screen on a stand is essentially a sail with a heavy base.

Above the bed. Nothing heavy, ever. No mirror, no framed art with glass, no shelf. You spend a third of your life lying under whatever is on that wall, and you will be asleep when the shaking starts.

Gas appliances. Use flexible connectors where gas lines meet water heaters, ovens and clothes dryers. A rigid pipe snaps when the appliance moves. A corrugated flexible connector absorbs the movement. This one is a plumber's job, and it is worth the call.

Should you shut off the gas after an earthquake?

Only if you have a reason to. This is the judgment call people get wrong in both directions, and the guidance is specific.

The Earthquake Country Alliance says to shut off the main gas valve only if you suspect a leak, meaning you smell or hear leaking natural gas, you see the meter spinning quickly, or you know pipes are broken. If none of that is true, leave it on.

Here is why the "just shut it off to be safe" instinct is wrong. Once the gas is off, only the utility can safely turn it back on and relight your appliances. After a large earthquake, the utility is dealing with an entire region. You could be without heat, hot water and a stove for days or weeks that you did not need to lose. Do not attempt to relight it yourself.

Two practical steps. Know where your meter and shutoff valve are, and keep the right wrench near the meter, not in a drawer in the garage. If you have never actually gone and found your gas, water and electric shutoffs, that is a 20 minute job worth doing this week. And know what natural gas smells like, that sulfur or rotten egg odor, because that smell is the trigger, not the earthquake itself.

What should you do in the first 10 minutes after the shaking stops?

Work in a fixed order so you are not making decisions while your hands shake. The Earthquake Country Alliance lays out the sequence:

1. Expect an aftershock and protect yourself again if one comes. Stay away from anything that looks like it may fall.

2. Put on shoes before you take a step. This is not in most official lists and it should be. Broken glass is the most common post-earthquake injury and the easiest one to avoid. Keep a pair of closed shoes and a flashlight tied to the bed frame.

3. Check for injuries. Apply direct pressure to bleeding. If you are trained in first aid or CPR, use it. Call 911 for anything serious.

4. Check for fire and gas. Put out small fires if you are trained and equipped. Use flashlights, never candles or matches, because there may be a gas leak you have not found yet.

5. Check for hazards. Damaged wiring, downed power lines, cracked masonry and chimneys that are about to shed bricks.

6. If you are on the coast and the shaking was long or strong, go to high ground immediately. Do not wait for an official tsunami warning. The earthquake is the warning.

Aftershocks are not a maybe. They follow every significant earthquake, they can be nearly as strong as the main event, and they continue for days to months. A building that survived the first shock with damage may not survive the fourth.

Where in the US does earthquake risk actually exist?

Almost everywhere, which surprises most people outside California. The USGS 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model found that nearly 75 percent of the United States could experience potentially damaging earthquakes, and that 37 states have had an earthquake above magnitude 5 in the last 200 years. The model added nearly 500 previously uncatalogued faults capable of producing a damaging quake.

A few places worth knowing by name:

• Cascadia, from northern California through Oregon and Washington into British Columbia. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network describes a fault about 1,000 km long that has produced magnitude 9.0 or greater earthquakes. The last one was January 26, 1700, estimated between magnitude 8.7 and 9.2, with at least 19 great earthquakes over roughly the past 10,000 years and an average recurrence of about 500 years. USGS estimates a 10 to 15 percent chance of a full margin magnitude 9 event in the next 50 years.

• New Madrid, covering northeastern Arkansas, southwestern Kentucky, southeastern Missouri and northwestern Tennessee. The 1811 and 1812 sequence produced three earthquakes each estimated between magnitude 7 and 8, on December 16, 1811, January 23, 1812 and February 7, 1812. Shaking was felt as far as Hartford, Charleston and New Orleans. USGS puts the odds at 25 to 40 percent for a magnitude 6.0 or greater in the next 50 years, and 7 to 10 percent for a repeat of 1811 and 1812.

• The eastern seaboard. The 2023 USGS model raised the expected shaking along the central and northeastern Atlantic corridor, naming Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Boston. Old brick buildings and no seismic code history make that a different kind of problem.

• Alaska and Hawaii. USGS increased shaking potential in Alaska, and in Hawaii because of recent volcanic and seismic unrest.

The reason this matters is not to worry anyone. It is that securing a water heater costs about the same in Memphis as it does in Los Angeles, and in Memphis almost nobody has done it.

What is the Great ShakeOut, and should you bother?

The Great ShakeOut is a worldwide earthquake drill held every October, and yes, it is worth 60 seconds. ShakeOut reported over 60.3 million global participants and over 19.3 million in the United States for the 2025 drills. International ShakeOut Day for 2026 falls on October 15, and registration is free for households, schools and workplaces.

The point of the drill is not information. You already know the three words. The point is to build the physical reflex, so that your body drops before your brain finishes deciding. That takes practice you cannot get from reading. You can also register a drill for any day of the year and run it at a time you choose, which is the honest option for most households.

Run it once with everyone in the house. Then run it once at night, in the dark, with shoes involved. That second one is where people discover their flashlight is dead and there is a glass table in the way. If the drill turns up gaps, work through a shelter in place supply list next, because a bad quake usually means days at home without power or water rather than an evacuation.

When should you get help?

Call 911 for anyone who is unconscious, has trouble breathing, has bleeding that does not slow with firm direct pressure, has a suspected head, neck or back injury, or is trapped. Do not move someone with a possible spine injury unless they are in immediate danger where they are.

If you smell gas, leave the building first and call 911 or your gas utility from outside. Do not use a light switch, a phone, or anything that could spark inside the building. If someone swallowed a household chemical that spilled during the shaking, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, which is staffed 24 hours a day.

After a large earthquake, phone networks are usually overwhelmed. Text messages often get through when calls do not, so plan to text rather than call, and pick an out of state contact everyone in the family checks in with. Long distance routing frequently survives when local circuits are jammed. Write that contact on a one page family communication plan and keep a copy in every wallet and backpack, because none of us remember phone numbers anymore.

Frequently asked questions about earthquake preparedness

Should I stand in a doorway during an earthquake?

No. ShakeOut and the Earthquake Country Alliance both say doorways are no safer than any other part of a modern house and give you no protection from falling or flying objects. Get under a sturdy table instead, or drop next to an interior wall away from windows and cover your head and neck.

Is the "triangle of life" method safe?

No. ShakeOut states that the triangle of life email recommends potentially life threatening actions and that its source has been discredited by leading experts. It asks you to move during violent shaking, which is when most injuries happen, and it is based on building collapse patterns that do not match typical US construction.

Where exactly do the two straps go on a water heater?

Within the upper one third and the lower one third of the tank, with the lower strap keeping at least 4 inches of clearance above the controls, per California Plumbing Code 507.2. Strap into wall studs, not drywall. For tanks up to 120 gallons you can also follow the manufacturer's instructions or a pre-engineered strapping kit.

Should I turn off my gas after an earthquake?

Only if you smell gas, hear it leaking, see the meter spinning quickly, or know that pipes are broken. Otherwise leave it on. Once you shut it off, only the gas company can safely restore service and relight your appliances, which can take days or weeks after a major earthquake.

Does earthquake risk exist outside of California?

Yes, widely. USGS found that nearly 75 percent of the United States could experience damaging earthquakes and that 37 states have had a magnitude 5 or greater in the last 200 years. The New Madrid zone in the central US, the Cascadia zone in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii and the northeastern Atlantic corridor all carry real hazard.

How long do aftershocks last?

Days to months, and occasionally years after a very large earthquake. They can be nearly as strong as the main shock, and they are most frequent in the first hours. Treat every aftershock as its own earthquake: drop, cover and hold on, and stay clear of anything already damaged, since a weakened wall or chimney may come down in a shock much smaller than the first one.

You never know, but you can always be ready.

Sources: ShakeOut Drop, Cover and Hold On, The Great ShakeOut, Earthquake Country Alliance, Step 5, Earthquake Country Alliance, Step 1, Earthquake Country Alliance, Step 6, USGS 2023 National Seismic Hazard Model, USGS New Madrid Seismic Zone, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network on Cascadia, California Plumbing Code 507.2 water heater strapping detail.