Immediate danger? Call 911.
Secure tall furniture, televisions, mirrors and other heavy items with suitable anchoring. Have a qualified professional assess structural concerns and water-heater restraint. Keep a flashlight, sturdy shoes and glasses within reach of the bed. Practice the protective action at home, at work and with children or caregivers. [E6]
Enable available earthquake warnings, including MyShake or Android Earthquake Alerts and Wireless Emergency Alerts. An alert may give seconds to take cover; it may also arrive during or after shaking. These systems detect an earthquake that has begun. They do not predict one. Act on the alert or the first shaking rather than waiting for confirmation. [E1, E2]
Drop to hands and knees if you can. Cover your head and neck and get under a nearby sturdy table or desk. Hold on until shaking ends, moving with the shelter if needed. Do not run outside or to another room. Doorways are not the preferred refuge, and the “triangle of life” is not a substitute for recommended protective actions. [E3, E4]
If you use a wheelchair, lock the wheels, protect your head and neck, and hold on. Do not travel to a doorway. If you cannot get to the floor safely, remain seated and protect your head and neck. If in bed, remain there and protect yourself with a pillow unless an immediate hazard requires movement. Outside, stay outside and move away from buildings, trees and wires if you can do so safely. Driving, pull over safely away from overpasses, trees and utility lines and remain in the vehicle until shaking stops. [E3, E4]
1. Check people. Call 911 for life-threatening injuries, fire or immediate danger. Give care within your training and follow dispatcher instructions.
2. Check the way out. Put on shoes and avoid broken glass, unstable masonry and fallen wires. Expect aftershocks; protect yourself again when they occur.
3. Treat suspected gas leaks as an evacuation trigger. Leave immediately without operating switches, flames or devices that could spark. From safety call 911 and SDG&E’s listed emergency/safety line, 1-800-611-7343. Do not remain inside to find the leak or ventilate the building. [E5]
4. Leave a damaged building if it is safe to get out. Do not reenter until the appropriate authority says it is safe. A neighbor’s visual check cannot certify structural safety. Keep away from damaged electrical equipment and standing water near electrical sources. [E7]
5. Send a concise household status message. Check on neighbors only when the route and setting are safe. Report missing or trapped people and their last known location; do not enter unstable structures to search.
Know utility shutoffs in advance, but do not operate them automatically after every earthquake. Shut off gas only when indicated and safe under utility guidance; have SDG&E restore service. Isolating broken water lines may reduce damage, but collecting water or checking breakers is never worth entering an unsafe area. [E6]
Household test: During the annual ShakeOut, practice from the room and position where you really spend time, including a wheelchair, walker or bed. Make the nearby space safer rather than planning to race across it.
https://www.earthquake.ca.gov/
https://www.earthquakecountry.org/step5/